First established in 1984, independent Italian restaurant Don Giovanni is one of the longest standing in the city.
Still held in high regard after nearly forty years, it has been feeding the people of Manchester for decades.
In that time, it has cemented itself as one of the city centre’s go-to Italian eateries, especially for diners that are looking to celebrate a special occasion.
No stranger to a proposal, the restaurant is one of Manchester’s most popular places for couples looking to pop the question. It’s also a popular choice for theatregoers, thanks to its central location and special pre-theatre menu.
Image: Don Giovanni
Image: Don Giovanni
Originally housed across the road in what is now 1 St Peters Square, today you’ll find the elegant Manchester Italian restaurant sitting opposite – with panoramic glass windows looking out onto the street.
ADVERTISEMENT
“If you’re a lover of Italian food then you need to try Don Giovanni at least once.”
Inside, large comfy leather booths and a stunning eighteen-foot marble bar ensure it looks the part for a celebration. The menu’s pretty swish too, offering everything from freshly made pizza and pasta to indulgent seafood platters and premium cuts of meat from locally-reared cattle.
If you’re a lover of Italian food then you need to try Don Giovanni at least once. It is the place you head to in the city if you are looking for authentic Italian fare.
ADVERTISEMENT
The restaurant may have been feeding Mancunians for decades, but its chefs frequently revise their offering to remain classic and authentic but still on trend, most recently adding pizza alla nocciolata, pizza al tartufo and gnocchi al gorgonzola.
Image: Don Giovanni
Image: Don Giovanni
From premium chargrilled meats cooked on Don Giovanni’s in-house Josper grill, to a solid list of pizzas and pasta dishes there are some stunning dishes to choose from here – all made using fresh produce picked from local markets each morning.
The restaurant also boasts its very own pasta-making and dessert station, where you can watch its chefs busy at work preparing fresh bread, pasta and sweet treats every morning.
ADVERTISEMENT
Pasta lovers will find fresh favourites like spaghetti carbonara, lasagne, tagliatelle al bolognese and linguine e vongole, all available from the A La Carte menu, as well as freshly prepared homemade treats like tiramisu and panna cotta.
Read more:A boozy pasta restaurant with wine-infused dishes is coming to Manchester
Elsewhere, as part of its antipasto section you’ll find a large selection of mouthwatering starters like beef carpaccio, homemade focaccia, frittura mista and antipasto Italiano, all sure to whet your appetite.
As for drinks, the restaurant boasts one of the best classic wine lists in the city with a choice of over 100 hand picked vintages sitting alongside a selection of cocktails and craft beers.
Image: Don Giovanni
Image: Don Giovanni
From raspberry caipirinhas to espresso martinis, negronis to pornstars, there are plenty of tipples to choose from with a solid mixture of classics and signatures making an appearance on the list.
ADVERTISEMENT
This restaurant has long stood the test of time as one of Manchester’s best Italian eateries, offering stylish settings in the heart of the popular theatre and nightlife district.
A short walk from both The Palace and The Opera House, it also offers a 2 or 3 course pre theatre set menu between the hours of 12-2pm and 4-6pm every day.
Open seven days a week from 12pm, to find out more and book a meal, visit the Don Giovanni website here, and check out their Christmas menus here.
Feature image – Don Giovanni
Sponsored
The beautiful brand-new (and surprisingly affordable) homes in West Didsbury
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Listen up home hunters – we may have just found a way for you to live in your dream area sooner than you thought.
Getting your foot on theproperty ladder is often not financially viable for a lot of people these days – and this is where Shared Ownership comes in, enabling buyers to purchase shares in their homes instead.
Gecko Homes have just introduced Two Didsbury Point, a selection of stunning one and two-bedroom modern homes, in one of the most sought after suburbs of Manchester.
Didsbury is absolutely packed with charming Edwardian and Victorian architecture and plenty of green space, including but not limited to Fletcher Moss park, which is breathtaking this time of year with autumnal colours.
This area is highly desirable, and it is easy to understand why, with all of the adorable independent shops and eateries as well as Burton Road, filled with the coolest bars at the heart of it all. Not to mention the monthly Makers Market, featuring local artists and food trucks.
The cherry on the top is how well connected the area is via Metrolink, motorway and railway to Manchester city centre and beyond. Oh and the airport is only 10 minutes down the road. Could Didsbury truly have it all?
The beautiful homes at Two Didsbury PointGecko Homes’ one and two bedroom properties at Two Didbsury Point
Whether you’re looking for a home to settle down in, or for your very first place where you have the advantages of having the city centre within easy reach, whilst retaining that homely community feel in the local area, this may be the one for you.
Two Didsbury Point is a £20 million scheme of 76 affordable homes, across two connected eight and five-storey blocks – 46 of those being for shared ownership – on the site of the former Withington Hospital.
The apartments themselves are an absolute dream, with sleek built-in kitchens, fully fitted bathrooms, bike storage and other enviable amenities such as the rooftop garden and communal area, perfect for entertaining guests. Oh, and they’re fitted with the latest cost effective and climate conscious features such as solar panels and air source heat pumps.
North West developer, Gecko Homes, specialises in creating Shared Ownership homes, making some fantastic properties surprisingly affordable. Through the new-look Shared Ownership lease scheme buyers are able to own a slice of their home, with terms that flex to fit their circumstances – starting with shares as low as 10%, with the option of increasing your ownership by 1% each year for the first 15 years. This allows buyers to get on the housing ladder, without the fear of a huge deposit.
The Two Didsbury Point homes are available as shared ownershipYour chance to move to Didsbury for a surprisingly affordable price point
Shared Ownership allows you to buy 10-75% share of the property and pay rent on the part you don’t own. Starting from £58,750 for a 25% share and 5% deposits starting from just £2,937.50, making it an actual achievable way for people to get onto the property ladder – something many of us can’t even comprehend in this climate.
Not to mention you get all the advantages of owning your home – from decorating the way you want to bringing your pet.
By reserving a home at Two Didsbury Point, buyers can also receive up to £1,000 in incentives, which can be used towards gym memberships, flooring upgrades, legal fee assistance, moving cost support and much more.
For more information on this way to buy a home click here. To read Gecko Homes’ Shared Ownership Key Information click here.
Soopa Hooch are on the hunt for the UK’s next big DJ to support Girls Don’t Sync member at XLR
Lydia Mastrolonardo
It’s no secret that Manchester has gained a surplus of aspiring DJs in recent years – well now it’s time to put those skills to use and show the rest of the UK what Manchester is made of.
Soopa Hooch has just launched Soopa Charged Sounds, an exciting competition, aiming to uncover emerging talent across the UK, offering one lucky winner the opportunity to perform at XLR, supporting member of Girl’s Don’t Sync, Gaia Ahuja aka G33.
Not only would the winner gain the platform to showcase their skills but they would also gain a year’s supply of Soopa Hooch drinks and a home DJ set up – now have I got your attention?
Come on, it seems only right that a Mancunian should win considering the event would be hosted inside our very own iconic nightclub, XLR Manchester.
So, if it’s always your job to supply the music wherever you go, you’re the friend that never fails to know the track ID or you simply practice in the safety of your bedroom – this is your time to shine. Dust off those decks, brush up on your mixes and get applying.
Soopa Hooch, the wild, bolder cousin of the classic Hooch, is an 8% ABV sparkling vodka mix available in five different flavours – Blue Raspberry, Twisted Tropical, Electric Lemonade, Darkest Berry and Cherry Cola, providing the perfect flavour for every kind of playlist.
Sam Watson, Brand Manager at Soopa Hooch and Hooch, commented: “We know there’s a huge amount of undiscovered DJ talent out there, whether they’re creating mixes at home or already making waves in their local scene.
“We’ve launched Soopa Charged Sounds to give that talent a platform to get their skills heard, and we can’t wait to shine a light on DJs who are bringing energy to pre-drinks and parties across the country.”
Soopa Hooch are on the hunt for the UK’s next big DJ. Credit: The Manc GroupThe chosen DJ will support Girls Don’t Sync member G33 at XLR. Credit: Supplied
Think you or someone you know has what it takes? Simply create a 15-20-minute mini mix and submit it via the Soopa Hooch website to enter by Thursday 26 November 2026.
The mixes will be reviewed by a panel of experts, from regional DJ radio stations up and down the country, on the following five key criteria: creativity, originality, ability, energy and overall suitability. Five finalists will then be announced on Sunday 20 December, before the lucky winner is crowned on Thursday 28 January 2027.
The Soopa Charged Sounds winner will then swap their bedroom desks for the big stage, for a live performance at XLR nightclub, on Friday 26 February 2027.
The Manc -
25th October 2022 
