Croma is one of the those places that just sticks in your memory as it is both unusual and enjoyable. Quite similar to Pizza Express in terms of pizzas and setting, Croma stands out by offering unique toppings and fantastic service. I first went to Croma about 4 years ago and I still rave about it today! The pizzas were absolutely fantastic and it's not often you get to choose between Chicken Caesar Salad and Chicken Tandoori pizzas! These toppings may not sound very nice, but they are extremely tasty. If you're not a Pizza fan then you can choose from a number of other tasty options including fish lasagne and canneloni. If you want a classy night out, then Croma really is the place to go to. It's well located just off Albert Square and is smartly decorated in stainless steel, white tiles and crisp white table cloths - elegance all round! read more

Fairly cheap, nicely laid out, offering a tasty range of italian food. Out of a group of six, I believe five went away very happy with their choices. The choice of the sixth, a spinach and ricotta cannelloni, lost points through tasting a bit more like an indian than an italian dish (it's true, I tasted it myself!), though was not altogether unpleasant. For me, italian really has to be something special to stand out from the crowd, and although Croma scores above average in all areas, it doesn't offer anything any other decent italian restaurant could. Sunday, admittedly was facepainting day - whether or not that deserves brownie points remains to be seen read more

Croma is located just near Manchester Town Hall and it is a modern Italian restaurant. The decor inside is very modern and the food is fancy but not too pricey. I have ordered a greek and a margherita pizza both of which were yummy and cost less than £6. The only thing that let the restaurant down is the staff. Our waitress was neither friendly nor accommodating when we asked for a slightly different dish that was on the menu (this is an Italian that doesn't serve pasta with a tomato sauce) for a non dairy diet. Both the food and the prices are good and maybe we caught the waitress on a bad day! read more

This is my favorite food in Manchester! Consistent, elegant, not too expensive, service is great. Had many a gathering here and they never fail to please. The Chicken Caesar salad pizza is just incredible , as is the hoisin duck pizza! and the Caramel cheescake is just... wow Thanks you for the great times read more

Pizza Express, how dare you. How dare you charge so much more than Croma does for essentially the same food. No, I'm not talking to you any more. Get out of my sight. Wait, wait... come back, Pizza Express, I was a little bit hasty... Okay, so Croma's starters are far more delicious than yours, the dough balls more moist and fluffy, and the garlic bread my maid of honour and I chose topped with tomato and basil was quite frankly orgasmic in comparison with your strangely shiny and chewy version (but spookily, SPOOKILY, the same size and shape... conspiracy theories afoot). Yet there are a couple of things that Croma got wrong. There seem to be a large range of pizzas that come with the irksome warning: 'No tomato'. This translates as being sans passata base. So isn't that... simply ingredients on... dough? I went for a Greek pizza, which had feta cheese, sunblushed tomatoes (my favourite things in the world, I could eat those bad boys like sweets) and gargantuan, juicy green olives that were ridiculously lush. But... oh, Pizza Express, I have to say, from the moment next door's Greek arrived prior to ours and the lady complained to the waiter that it was dry, I felt uneasy. First of all, I'd never whinge to a waiter about anything, I'm far too British. (I'm apparently French somewhere along my bloodline according to those family history reports so maybe I should adopt more of a French attitude to food...) Lo and behold, mine too was a little dry... and very difficult to cut. The topping, however, was mind-blowing. Delicious. Win some lose some? The brunette had opted for a pizza with asparagus and sunblushed tomatoes as well as that cheese I really like, I think it's called fontal. But hers also strangely came without a tomato base, and thus was dry and equally difficult to cut. The pair of us felt like we'd lifted weights by the end of the meal, which I guess is good for our guns. I'm all for experimental, but Dough's got it right by keeping the texture of their pizzas essentially the same as those we're traditionally used to, instead playing with the flavours. Actually, wait there a second, Pizza Express, I've just got to talk to Dough for a moment. Dough. I love you. You've spoilt me. You've spoilt all other pizza venues for me. Dang, you ROGUE. Call me. Sorry about that, Pizza Express. I have to say, one bite of the caramel and pecan cheesecake and the dry pizzas were almost forgiven, as this was one dessert that was worth getting a room with. In fact I very selfishly felt quite chuffed when Alexa said she was far too full to share it properly with me. However, the most redeeming factor is the price. I've been a loyal customers of yours a fair few years now, Pizza Express, but as time's gone on I've been more attracted by the printable vouchers than the food itself. Except, Croma is just as cheap as you'd be WITH the offers, so... What I'm essentially saying is that I think I should see other restaurants. I'm sorry if this upsets you. Croma's so cheap, and the decor is so pretty with its twinkly lights (a big thing of mine) that I think I'd like to give it a few more chances and up its star rating. After all it has a coveted PLUOY sticker! But I do promise I'll visit you again soon. Maybe if you throw a few more two pizzas for £10 coupons in my direction... (Update: Alexa wanted me to inform the Yelping community that our waiter was a 'fittie'. Well, it's an incentive.) read more

Early bird menu 4pm - 10pm weekdays only £10.95! What a find! Glass of wine/bottle of peroni/soft drinks + garlic bread/side salad + ANY pizza off the main menu! Then only an extra £3.00 for a dessert from a choice of three. Absolutely amazing value for money and for food I'd be happy to pay much more for. I went for the Anantra duck pizza - delicious. Great flavours. Would definitely recommend this lovely restaurant, with it's great service & atmosphere! read more

We had a delicious quick lunch here. Great service no wait. Have the vegetarian meze platter!

Famous for its delicious pizza and great selection of ice cream, Croma is one of Manchester's best Italian restaurants. As soon as you walk in the places takes you. Glittering with twinkly lights and candles there is a romantic air some how free of cliché. The staff are really accommodating and make their best effort to settle you in and give you plenty of time to have a look at the menu. They have some lovely starter dishes and salads if you just want something light for lunch. For dinner they do some great pasta, fish and pizza dishes as well as some chef specials that will blow your socks off - and so will the price. Cheaper than many other Manchester restaurants - even big chains like Pizza Express - Croma offers some really great dining at really great prices. The only let down is that you can't reserve tables, but if you pick a week night or arrive early you shouldn't have any problems. read more

Not as impressed by Croma as I should have been :( From the outside it looks fab, however, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Or in this case a pizza restaurant by its shiny chrome signage. We were greeted warmly but told there was a 15 minute wait for a table, so we went down to the bar. There were three couples waiting already and so no space to sit down. We stod for a few minutes trying not to get in the way of the waiters running up and down the stairs here there and everywhere with arms full of pizzas. Anyway we got a seat and the wait was just 15mins. I can't say the service was great. The waitress who was working our section didn't want to make eye contact or come to the table very often. I ordered the Melanzana pizza with sultanas and pine nuts which was a good flavour for a pizza I'd never tried before. Adam has the Inglese because he loves a fried egg! I would love to say this restaurant was as good as Pizza Express, but in my opinion it really isn't. My pizza had far too much oil on it to be enjoyable and so I couldn't finish it. Having said that my pizza was tasty. Although it is cheapish (about £7-£9 per pizza), I think I would stick to Pizza Express for all my pizza needs, especially since they send out new offers every week. We shared a Tiramisu for dessert which was OK (I would score it 6/10) that was £4.25. Over and out. read more

Went here last night and was pleasantly supprised. It was a lot like pizza express yet had a better feel about it with nice interior and good atmosphere. Food was mainly pizzas with about 4 pasta dishes. Starter were poor and over priced but mains were good without being spectacular but were cheap. There were a few larger groups here and it seemed good for that. The place is a nice place to eat with friends in the city centre. It's not a special occasion place, it's more an alternative to pizza express if you fancy a change from there read more

Went to Croma last night for a friend's birthday. The food was very good. My Greek pizza was fresh and delicious also the base was just right. The service was friendly and efficient and the décor is quite up market for a pizza chain. The reason I have only given Croma 3 stars is because of the atmosphere. It was so noisy in there it was hard to hear each other speak. Which is a shame when it's someone's birthday and you want to catch up with people you haven't seen in a while. Might go again on a quieter evening in the week. read more

YES this is going to be my 'real' pizza fix in MCR after being treated here Xmas Eve. Thank you O!! It was perfect. Now, should I make it weekly or monthly? In Italy it's daily, by the slice. It's a culture thing. read more

I love this place, it does my favourite pizza, which is an english breakfast one its got egg, cumberland sausage and bacon on it oooo lovely! The starters are really good, everyone i know loves the pizza's and salads that they do. Staff are very friendly and its not as badly priced as you think If i remember the pizza i like is around £7 Downside is you cant book a table for less than 6 people but its worth the wait! read more

Always consistent, cloth napkins, service great, kids welcome.

Great food! Great restaurant! Long waiting time. Waited nearly an hour for a table but it was worth it. Definitely recommend Croma. I enjoyed the peri peri pizza, it's great value too. read more

Smarter and funkier than Pizza Express, Croma's pizzas are cheaper, more varied and most importantly, taste nicer than its big chain rival. Their toppings include Chicken Caesar Salad, Peking Duck and the Inglese - bacon, sausage and egg, on a pizza! They also do the basics very well if you have simpler tastes. My own personal fave is the Parma - parma ham, rocket and olives topped with parmesan cheese, it's delicious! Highly recommended read more

Decent independant pizza restaurant serving pretty good pizzas (but not outstanding) at reasonable prices. Certainly better that Pizza Express etc. Service consistent. No bookings so may be a wait at busy times. Zimbabwe $$$'s not accepted (I did ask). read more

Lost count of how many times I've been here and never had a bad meal yet. Great pizza, salads are good too, and the staff have that rare combination of efficiency & friendliness. And it's such good value, you could pay twice the price for no better elsewhere in town. read more

Croma is a restaurant that works on a first come first served basis. In other words you can't book in advance, which is great if you're up for a casual meal or can't find a table anywhere else because they'll always squeeze you in, even if you have to wait a while. If you do have to wait for a table to open up, one of the restaurants downfalls is the waiting area. It has a bar, sure. But there is just one couch, which you might be able to squeeze about 8 people onto if you're lucky, and one table. I don't know about you but i don't like to be squashed up against strangers like i'm on a 5 o'clock train. They really need to extend that area and get some more seats in. When it comes to the food their speciality is the pizza. I stupidly ordered the picante and when i saw my girlfriend's pizza was gutted. Terrible choice. The burritos were tiny and sloppy. The pizza, however, was delicious and i managed to scavenge most of it from my sucker of a girlfriend. The prices are very reasonable. The most expensive thing you'll find on the menu will be about £7.50 so no need to worry there. We bought a bottle of red wine which was good, not that i could tell the difference if they stuck a bottle of cheap rubbish in front of me, but if anything that turned out to be the stinger as a bottle of wine, even house, is about twice as much as any course you can buy! In conclusion, if you're wanting a special evening, or a night of fine dining or whatever, this probably isn't suitable. If you want a casual dinner or at the last minute decide you can't be arsed making anything, it's perfect. read more

In 6 years of visiting Croma I have always had amazing food every time. The take out pizzas are good too- still crisp when you getthem home! Best items on the menu- Crispy Duck Pizza or Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza, i'm always torn between them. The tomato garlic bread is fab too. I wish they would open a Croma a little closer to London, Manchester is too far now! read more

LOVE CROMA! the Smoked Haddock pizza is AMAZING, and the service is excellent. You won't be disappointed!

Croma works on a policy of not accepting bookings which has worked in our favour. Quite often when I meet my pals in Manchester for a couple of cheeky halves and a bite to eat,we call to Croma and usually get a table.The food is good and not too pricey.The staff are not over friendlymaybe overworked? It is on 2 floors and has a good atmosphere. Give it a go! read more

Croma is my favourite restaurant in Manchester. I've been about five times and each time I love it even more. It's a really nice restaurant but it's very relaxed and you can enjoy yourself without worrying about snooty waiters. My favourite pizza is the Asparagus and Goats Cheese, hmmmm, I never finish it all though but they will box it up so you can take it home which I think is great. It's very reasonably priced and the service is excellent. read more

A bright and airy place, very modern and specialising in modern Italian. The service was fast and efficient but slightly grumpy and impersonal. The pizza I had was one of their specials, it was good in theory but lacking flavour and could've done with a few more minutes in the oven. Everyone else at our table really enjoyed their pizzas and we saw Lard as we were leaving which was a bonus. read more

I absolutely adore croma! The pizzas are gorgeous and quite cheap too, they do an inglese too which isn't the most obvious of choices everywhere! If you are actually able to eat more after one of their delicous pizzas, the deserts are equally lovely. Oh and the cocktails are quite nice too. read more

This place is great, it looks amazing and the service is generally good. A massive plus point for me is the innovative toppings on the pizzas, including a few without tomato (which I am allergic to) meaning I can still enjoy pizza, hooray! read more

An excellent Sunday lunch. Staff were very friendly and relaxed. Food choices show reasonable selection based around Pizza menu, but was excellent quality. I've been twice now, and both times enjoyed the food and the relaxed ambiance. The salad menus well worth sharing as side dishes - just love the Duck Salad. read more

Fabulous food and very good service even though they were very busy Best pizza in the North West lovely thin crust and fresh tasty toppings. Varied menu to please everyone so large family groups will be happy -- mine certainly were and we will be back read more

Well guy and girls. I arrived alone and enter the door being attended to within seconds. To be seated at my desired location (out of the way) and as soon as a Gad sat down I was asked if a wanted a drink and was given a menu. No joke, within 5 seconds of me seating down I had ordered what I wanted , the veg pizza and a glass of house red. With a minute the red was there and in 5 the pizza was there. It was or is, as I'm writing this review still seated finishing my wine, excellent service and the pizza has to be one of the best I've had. Very very impressed. It's not a big pizza but the taste is great and not full of cheese and dough. The topping of vegetables outweighed the dough. I was looking for a pizza place near Albert square and had two options in mind. I'm glad I went here. The price is good too. Service was excellent. Atmosphere great. Pizza, well I want to order another before a leave and the wine reasonable. Maybe try a red off the house red list next time. All round I was and is still great. Thank you read more

Excellent, friendly service with a relaxed atmosphere and great food.

good food and atmosphere, very busy on saturday nights relaxed during the day good starters and desserts and interesting pizzas read more