For those who’ve been kicking around the Manchester food scene for a while, Croma needs no introduction.
One of Manchester’s most long-standing pizza restaurants, after 22 years in the city the family favourite left fans heartbroken last January as it closed the doors to its original Clarence Street site.
The closure of its Didsbury venue followed this summer, with owners confirming in a statement it was with a “heavy heart” they would be shuttering the Wilmslow Road eatery in May.
Now, a new Italian restaurant has its eyes set on the site at 651A Wilmslow Road – and has revealed plans to breathe new life into the venue with its own offering, which spans freshly-made pizzas, pasta, flaming pasta wheels, and a bottomless brunch with endless prosecco Italian cocktails.
Image: Italiana Fifty Five
Image: Italiana Fifty Five
Italiana Fifty Five, formerly known as Cibo Manchester, already has two popular sites in Manchester city centre at The Great Northern Warehouse and Liverpool Road, Castlefield.
Now, it’s gearing up to take on South Manchester as it swoops into Didsbury Village – but bosses are mindful of Croma’s reputation, and say they have been working ‘very hard’ to meet the ‘high expectations set by [their] predecessors.’
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Speaking to The Manc, a spokesperson from Italiana Fifty Five said: “After the successful rebranding from Cibo Manchester to Italiana, we are excited to share a project that has been in the works for some time.
“We are thrilled to announce that we have taken over the former Croma site in Didsbury. We are fully aware of the high expectations set by our predecessors, and our teams have been working very hard to meet them.
“While we are not yet prepared to disclose the official opening date, we assure you that it will be happening very soon!”
A rosé festival where your ticket includes unlimited wine is returning to Manchester
Lydia Mastrolonardo
A festival dedicated to rosé wine is making a return to Manchester this summer – and your ticket includes unlimited wine.
This year marks the third year of The Beeswing’s Rosé Festival, which has quickly become a staple for all Mancunian wine-lovers.
This outdoor festival will transport you to a French vineyard, with acoustic live music from La Chanteuse, and a setting in amongst the leaft Kampus gardens. Even your four-legged friends are invited to the party.
Head on down to absorb some of that sunshine and get your hands on unlimited glasses of more than 20 different rosés, orange and sparkling wines, sourced from across the world.
Whether you consider yourself a connoisseur or just like the sound of some fizz in the sun, this garden party has plenty of new wines for you to try.
Sit back and relax, chat with suppliers, and if you choose to, you can purchase bottles of some seriously top-notch wines at exclusive reduced rates.
You can expect wines from Raymond Reynolds (Portuguese Wines), Alliance Wines, Hammonds of Knutsford, and Boutinot.
Beeswing in Manchester will host the rosé festival again. Credit: The Manc Group
In the run-up to the festival, The Beeswing are also holding various other opportunities for us to try some delicious wines, including an English Wine Tasting next Sunday.
Wine Tasting with Gusbourne – 28 June – Celebrate English Wine Week at an exclusive tasting experience from 4-6pm, with five Gusbourne wines and some nibbles. Tickets cost £40.
Click HERE to secure your Wine Tasting with Gusbourne tickets.
The Rosé Festival – 4 July – Hosted on the Kampus gardens in Manchester from 12.30pm-3pm. Tickets cost £35 and include unlimited wine and a welcome drink.
Tickets sold out quickly last year and booking in advance is necessary to attend.
Manchester’s tiniest coffee shop has opened in Ancoats serving £2.50 flat whites
Daisy Jackson
A tiny new coffee shop has opened in Ancoats, and it’s already turning heads with a simple mission – making quality coffee affordable again.
7ZZ (pronounced ‘seven zeez’) has quietly launched on Oldham Road in a space no bigger than your arm span.
Owner Joe Stephens is bringing speciality coffee prices back down to earth with flat whites starting from just £2.50 and matcha from only £4.
In a city where a morning coffee can easily set you back more than a fiver, the new independent hopes to bridge the gap between premium coffee shops and budget chains.
The compact café may be easy to miss at first glance, but its menu packs plenty of personality. Alongside classic espresso-based drinks, customers can pick up ceremonial-grade matcha, iced barista-made coffees, and vibrant ube lattes made properly (no purple syrup in sight).
Joe says the idea behind 7ZZ was to create a space where customers don’t have to choose between quality and affordability, with a price list that rivals Greggs.
Adding to the appeal is a selection of pastries from Sticky Fingers, the popular Stockport bakery known for its indulgent sweet treats.
Joe Stephens at 7ZZ in AncoatsIced matcha and ube lattes start at just £47ZZ has Sticky Fingers bakes on the counter
With fresh bakes like croissants and custard buns lining the counter each day, the new opening looks set to become a popular stop for commuters and locals alike.
As Ancoats continues to cement its reputation as one of Manchester’s best neighbourhoods for food and drink, 7ZZ is offering something increasingly rare – speciality coffee that doesn’t come with a speciality price tag.
7ZZ Coffee is now open at 116 Oldham Road, Ancoats, M4 6AG.
Georgina Pellant -
27th July 2023 
