An Italian pizzeria serving ‘the best pizza in the world’ is coming to King Street
The first Da Michele restaurant outside of Italy opened in London in 2017 - and now it's coming to Manchester, taking over the former Zizzi unit on King Street.
One of the ‘best pizzerias in the world’ is moving to Manchester city centre.
L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele – which is famous for serving the ‘only two types’ of Neapolitan margherita or marinara – is officially moving to King Street; having gained a global reputation as the ‘Sacred Temple of Pizza’ since opening in Naples over 150 years ago.
Founded in 1870 by the Condurro family, a self-confessed group of pizza fanatics, the slices at Da Michele have always been made according to simple but uncompromising principles.
The fifth-generation pizza masters now running the restaurant continue to be ever-faithful to the original instructions, using the same recipe created all those years ago.
Pizzeria Da Michele is famous for serving the ‘only two types’ of Neapolitan pizza / Credit: Instagram (@pizzeriadamichele)
Da Michele still uses the same recipe today as when the first restaurant opened / Credit: Instagram (@pizzeriadamichele)
The restaurant shot to international fame in 2010 when Julia Roberts visited in the film Eat, Pray, Love, stating: “I am having a relationship with this pizza, almost an affair” in a line taken from Elizabeth Gilbert’s 2006 memoir, from which the film is adapted.
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The first Da Michele restaurant outside of Italy opened in London in 2017 – and now it’s coming to Manchester, taking over the former Zizzi unit on King Street.
The news was announced by property company Barker Proudlove on their Instagram page last week, when they posted an update stating: “Barker Proudlove are proud to have completed a deal with @pizzeriadamichele to bring their world famous pizza to Manchester, in their new home at 53 King Street!”
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While the restaurant keeps the simplistic approach of only serving two options of pizza in its homeland of Italy, the London arm of Da Michele appears to have a little more variation, with a lengthier pizza menu, pasta and other Italian treats.
Although unconfirmed, it’s expected that the Manchester branch will do the same.
No date for the opening of the Manchester branch of L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele has been revealed yet, so you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled for updates.
Food & Drink
Inside Chinatown’s enormous new three-storey restaurant, with futuristic karaoke booths
Daisy Jackson
A gigantic three-storey restaurant and karaoke bar has just opened its doors in Chinatown in Manchester.
Sovereign Clouds is the newest addition to one of the city’s most beloved and ever-evolving neighbourhoods, taking over a sizeable building on Faulkner Street that’s been vacant for 10 years.
Inside the 1,000 sq metre space, you’ll find a glittering restaurant adorned with marble and gold, where you can tuck into a massive menu of dim sum and traditional dishes.
One floor up and you’ll find yourself surrounded by live lobster tanks and the massive kitchen, alongside several flexible private dining spaces.
And up on the top floor are the most futuristic karaoke rooms in town, where you can customise lights, LED ceilings, and even sing through an autotune microphone.
Three roast meats from Sovereign CloudsDelicious dim sumAuthentic Chinese cooking from Sovereign CloudsBlack Gold Lava Buns with salted custard fillingThe massive Sovereign Clouds restaurant
On the menu you’ll find tonnes of steamed dim sum, stir fries, traditional claypot stews, roast meats, and loads more.
There’s seafood like stir-fried lobster with salted egg yolk, and traditional Cantonese steamed grouper; a whole section for abalone (advance orders only) including braised goose feet and fish maw; and a good selection of spicy Sichuan dishes.
The chefs here also have an impressive array of Chinese roast meats, like Peking crispy duck, pork belly, and char siu, as well as three roast meats with rice.
Futuristic karaoke roomsThe main restaurant at Sovereign CloudsFuturistic karaoke rooms
And that’s alongside ingredients you don’t find on a lot of menus in Manchester, like jellyfish, tripe, and century eggs.
It’s all led by Terry Ni, who has been behind the popular Dynasty Chinese and Thai takeaway in Timperley for more than a decade, and has spent years transforming this empty old building into one of Chinatown’s most glittering restaurants.
Come for dinner, stay for a turn on the karaoke upstairs, and tell everyone – Sovereign Clouds is a fantastic addition to Manchester.
‘Surreal’ moment Stevie Wonder dines at Stalybridge restaurant after enormous Manchester gig
Daisy Jackson
Stevie Wonder has stunned a local restaurant in Stalybridge after he popped in for dinner after his massive Manchester show.
The soul icon had performed a huge gig at Co-op Live on Sunday night, performing hits from his illustrious, decades-long career.
And while you might expect someone of Stevie’s fame and stature to dine at one of the city centre’s many Michelin-recommended restaurants, the star instead headed straight for the suburbs.
He was spotted dining at Cafe Continental, an independent restaurant that’s become one of the Greater Manchester’s most-hyped neighbourhood haunts since it launched two years ago.
The stylish spot is famed for its European-style restaurant and cafe culture, aiming to recreate the atmosphere of the sort of place you’d stumble upon down a back street in Rome or Paris.
On the menu they’ve got a rotation of small plates, open-fire dishes, pastas and burgers, along with their divine Parisian hot chocolate, served with a bowl of whipped cream on the side.
Cafe Continental has had a good track record for pulling in local famous faces, but arguably nothing comes close to Stevie Wonder himself.
Inside Cafe Continental in Stalybridge. Credit: The Manc GroupSoup and focaccia at Cafe Continental. Credit: The Manc Group
The night before Stevie’s visit, they’d served his band and daughter – and clearly word got back to Stevie fast, because he returned the next night to test it out for himself.
Cafe Continental posted: “Surreal things happen now and again. This is one of them! Pleasure to welcome Mr Stevie Wonder to the restaurant to close off his tour!”
And according to the MEN, Stevie left a whopping £1,000 tip for the staff.
Not only did Stevie Wonder support a local hospitality business, but he also arrived dressed in Drama Call, a Manchester-based sportswear brand.
Georgina Pellant -
27th May 2021 
