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    Lean & Mean

    5.0 (2 reviews)
    InexpensiveItalian, Pizza

    Lean & Mean Photos

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    11 years ago

    Helpful 5
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    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
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    Love this 1
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    Rudy's Neapolitan  Pizza - The Marina pizza .. no cheese but super delicious

    Rudy's Neapolitan Pizza

    4.4(53 reviews)
    0.4 miAncoats, Petersfield
    £

    I was FINALLY able to try Rudy's, even though the universe seemed to be against me the whole time…read morebut I finally got in. I've wanted to try this place for some time now, and every time I see people in Manchester asking about the best pizza places, Rudy's is always peoples number one choice. I made a point to want to go there on this visit, so I did everything I needed to do in the city, and then headed over for when it opened so I knew I would be able to get a table. A few people went in before me and the staff member was talking to people a little bit so I had a feeling something was wrong. When I got to the them, it turns out the pizza oven wasn't turning on so there would have been a minimum of 30 minute delay, I could be seated but they couldn't do any orders until the people in had sorted out the problem. I decided to go off and do something else (there's an amazing coffee shop around the corner so I went there for a bit) and then return when, hopefully, it was all fixed. I was gone around 40-45 minutes and when I walked down the street, alongside the extractor vents, I could smell pizza so knew it was all working. When I got in, there was a lot more people inside so it must have been fixed pretty quick and people were going for food. I got seated at the bar area, which was actually where a group of chefs were making the pizzas. I was in front of the one shaping the dough into the pizza shape. I felt a bit awkward looking at them so did it a bit slyly out the corner of my eye. They weren't looking at me so maybe it was as uncomfortable for them as me ... or maybe its just me being an awkward person at a new place. Looking at the menu there was a lot of choice. All of it seemed authentic Neapolitan pizza which Ive never had before so it was new to me. The menu was extensive and I decided to go for good old fashioned basic. HOWEVER, it turns out I ordered even more basic as I got the marinara rather than the margarita ... I did order that but didn't realise the marinara was without cheese. SO that was a shock at first but MY GOD it was delicious. Perfectly cooked and I could see them cooking it, perfect amount of garlic shavings and basil and the sauce and base was to die for. I can see why people say its the best, and there was a number of delivery or to take out orders as a staff member was constantly going out with piles of boxes. On the table where I was there was a tomato tin filled with the cutlery and napkins and a giant pizza cutter which I thought was pretty cool, so I was able to slice my own pizza into whatever sized pieces I wanted. Obviously I ate it how it should be eaten (in my opinion)... into slices and picked up and folded and it was great. I also got a jug of water before my order was taken which I love, and went for a simple blood orange san Pellegrino which came with ice and an orange slice. The pizza was around 9 inch I think ... a good size either way and all in all it only came to £10 which was a bargain. I will, for sure, return and maybe get some cheese on it this time ... and maybe mushrooms as the fungi pizza looked amazing (the guy who sat next to me ordered that) and when I can finally move up to Manchester, I shall order from there more often.

    A nice neighborhood spot for a solid wood fired pizza! We visited at lunch and were seated…read moreimmediately.

    Photos
    Rudy's Neapolitan  Pizza - Front of the restaurant .. the signs is usually lit up

    Front of the restaurant .. the signs is usually lit up

    Rudy's Neapolitan  Pizza - Caesar salad, Portobello pizza, Rudy's Kick Ass Lemonade

    Caesar salad, Portobello pizza, Rudy's Kick Ass Lemonade

    Rudy's Neapolitan  Pizza - What's on every table ... looked quite chic

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    What's on every table ... looked quite chic

    Noi Quattro - Pretty awesome pizza

    Noi Quattro

    4.7(3 reviews)
    0.2 miNorthern Quarter

    TL;DR - Truly authentic Neapolitan pizza, without the queues…read more When did Manchester become the place for some of the best pizza of your life? I've no idea, but I'm not complaining. We called into Noi Quattro for lunch after a friend recommended it, and found the place completely deserted. I've no idea why it was so quiet, but it is tucked a little out of the way and I suspect the nearby Mackie Mayor swallows up a lot of passing trade. The venue is large and modern, very nicely decorated. We were seated in the window which gave us a great view. The menu had a good variety of pizzas on it (several of which catered to vegans) and there were a couple of specials up on the board... I went for a mushroom pizza, Sparky went for an anchovy and olive one. Both were really delicious and we washed them down with a couple of beers. Pizzas here are truly authentically neapolitan - let's be honest, most people will compare these pizzas with those offered by Rudy's, and they are easily on the same level. I gave Rudy's 5 stars, and I'm giving Noi Quattro 5 stars too. The pizzas are really delicious and I really don't understand why people weren't queueing out of the door here like they do at Rudy's.

    We ordered chips, three pizzas (margarita with olives, spicy salami one and the one with the…read moreaubergine and peppers) and a couple of drinks each. The pizzas were all well cooked and full of flavour. I particularly liked the base. The waiter was especially lovely to our 3 year old kid and went out of his way to talk to him about what he'd been up to today. The place was bright and airy and it had a good feel to it. There was one table with four swings around it. There's plenty of regular seating too. I'd definitely come again for a pizza fix.

    Croma - surroundings

    Croma

    4.3(71 reviews)
    0.3 miCity Centre
    ££

    Located in Manchester's city centre on Clarence Street, just off Princess Street and close to St…read moreAnne's Square, Croma is an "independent gourmet pizzeria", with a few branches around Greater Manchester, with this being their only city centre location. Having been impressed by their Prestwich branch, where I most recently awarded it a three-star rating (previously a four!), I decided to try this out after stumbling across Croma on UberEATS. Originally the app didn't allow me to specify gluten free - this is something which needs addressing however after a quick call with the store, the manager seemed friendly to assist and make sure my order was gluten-free and I could still get my food. The restaurant its self is an impressive old building, it is up a couple of steps to get in - which could be a problem for some. I ordered a Gluten Free Americana pizza, the pizza its-self was quite good quality, the passata was a little runny at times but overall the pizza was a decent pizza, especially for gluten-free, much beating most other takeaways I could have had including Domino. The overall prize was good too for delivery, my pizza came delivered the short half a mile journey to the Hilton Manchester Deansgate for £11, the delivery free was set by UberEATS and cost around £2.50 in that total. The pricing for eating in, however, is pretty much average, with it being a small restaurant they lack the offers which bigger chains do, meaning it could work out slightly more expensive than rivals, including (but not limited to) Bella, Pizza Express and Zizzi. The menu selection is pretty good too, if you like pizzas but maybe not so much for everything else. is this somewhere I'd order from or visit again? Yes, and it does definitely warrant a solid three-star rating, issues with pricing when dining inside, selection other than pizza including starters and sides, and the access issues mean I sadly don't feel I can go any higher than a score which would match Croma's other branch I've visited in Pretswich, of three-stars.

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the food here. I have become a regular customer now. Wish I had found it…read moresooner as I now live in Birmingham so I'll be missing it when I go back to uni. But I love it really authentic and quirky.

    Photos
    Croma
    Croma
    Croma

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    PLY - Check my blog for more photos www.michellelovestoeat.com, and follow me on Instagram (@michellelovestoeat)

    PLY

    3.8(42 reviews)
    0.2 miNorthern Quarter
    ££

    Gone downhill recently, based on today's experience. Pizza was edible enough although the base was…read morea bit soggy. Not nice and crispy like they used to be. If you check in on Yelp, it presents a 10% off food and drink voucher which they refused to accept!! Waitress walked away from me when I was still talking to her, and no thank you or goodbye as we were leaving despite it being very quiet- I found this very rude. Once one of my favourite pizza restaurants has certainly fallen from grace I'm sad to say.

    I was quite unhappy with the pizzas, and the service. Despite my earlier impressions with it being…read morebusy with families and really cool decor, PLY seemed confused about what it wanted customers to do when they arrived: if they are there for food, then they wait at the entrance, where a sign instructed them to do so. However, there was nobody there to greet us and it was difficult to get the attention from any staff, and when we did, it was a case of 'find a free spot', then order. We did get table service. The pizzas (mine was the Vulcano) came with circular pizza cutters, which I am not a fan of, but each to their own. The actual dough, despite being Neapolitan style, was slightly under-cooked, and overall my pizza could have done with an extra 3-4 minutes in the oven. The tomato sauce was watery and the cheese could have been mixed more with the pizza. I'll return for a drink, but next time I'll give the pizza a miss.

    Photos
    PLY - Check my blog for more photos www.michellelovestoeat.com, and follow me on Instagram (@michellelovestoeat)

    Check my blog for more photos www.michellelovestoeat.com, and follow me on Instagram (@michellelovestoeat)

    PLY
    PLY - Check my blog for more photos www.michellelovestoeat.com, and follow me on Instagram (@michellelovestoeat)

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    Check my blog for more photos www.michellelovestoeat.com, and follow me on Instagram (@michellelovestoeat)

    Dogs 'n' Dough - kiev fries (2015)

    Dogs 'n' Dough

    3.9(36 reviews)
    0.3 miCity Centre
    ££

    Aw I really liked it here!…read more For some reason I got totally ravenous at around 2145 and started freaking out about all the restaurants closing and could only think of this one nearby that might still be open so basically kept saying "Dogs n Dough" "Dogs n Dough" over and over again until Rana M capitulated and escorted me to that over-mentioned establishment. Inside was very American but sort of authentically (although I can't really tell anymore). There's a lot of dark green leather and a Rolling Rock sign. Owner/manager impressed me by saying they would keep serving until at least 11pm basically to do more business. EXACTLY. THAT IS THE CORRECT ATTITUDE. No hipster prancing about looking-moody-instead-of-serving-people-here. My small business heart was deeply gratified. Our server was also excellent, quick and attentive. They have what I will boldly declare as the best strawberry ice cream milkshake in Manchester and also a great looking list of cocktails that are £4.50 during happy hour and can be eaten alongside various delicious snacks. Food wise, the dogs, as Andrew Y. mentioned, have a rather odd hard outer skin but I actually quite liked that. I didn't realise my burrito dog would actually come in a wrap, but it was pretty tasty. Next time I want the one with Doritos. Or the Reuben. There's a lot of choice. There is also a MAC N CHEESE PIZZA whaaaaat. Sides: onion rings were giant, and good, and chilli cheese fries were as always a delight. Do not come here if you are on a diet. I will obviously be back here ASAP. FYI all the dogs are 100% beef.

    Dogs n' Dough. That's what they serve. Hot dogs and pizza. And to be honest I've been meaning to…read moregive them a try for quite a while but only tended to remember about them when I walk past their neon lights directing them down Bow Lane, near St Peter's Square in Manchester City Centre, but it's usually not when I'm looking for food. This time I made a point of finally going to visit. I like that at night it feels a bit secretive being down a little side street, then down into a basement restaurant. Inside feels reflective of being outside at night too, with theatrical lighting, neon signs, and dark wooden furniture. One thing about the decor I particularly liked was the cartoon drawing all over of various hot dogs. When I asked the staff about these, they apparently originate with a guy who travelled all around the USA trying the speciality hot dogs, then drawing them as posters. What a job! It's a good talking point and unique as a decoration, I'll say that much! The atmosphere is friendly and cosy, people laughing and chatting whilst trying bits of each others pizzas and hotdogs. The menu has great tongue-in-cheek names for their offered dishes, and in the drinks menu I was happy to see that there was a large selection of soft drinks available for those of us who don't drink, including imported US sodas that aren't easy to come by here. It's so nice to find somewhere doing soft drinks other than the standard Coke/Fanta/Sprite fountain guns. We chose a root beer and a Dr Pepper Cherry Vanilla (although a Pepsi Cherry Vanilla came out, we didn't realise until afterwards because it was still pretty damn tasty). You're also given a bottle of water per table so you can enjoy your drinks rather than feeling you've rushed them due to thirst. Staff were friendly and enthusiastic, as well as knowledgeable of their product and environment. We were told how things were served, the types of pizza, hot dog sausage types etc, and when we decided to order some fries to share instead of a starter, the guy serving us observed this and told us that if we wanted to share the hot dogs that we'd ordered, they could be cut in half in the kitchen so we could easier share. That's a nice idea for couples and friends, I like it. I was very much considering the mac bites as a starter, but thought it best not to overfill before the main! We ordered the Kiev Fries, which were cheese, garlic butter, and herb crumb. Very tasty, and genuinely did taste like chicken kiev which gave me a giggle. We both took ages to decide what to have for our main, and instead of pizza we decided to go for the hot dogs. I ordered Cheesus Christ Superstar (heh) which was three cheese and caramelised red onion chutney. I was a bit surprised that the cheeses in question were melted slices of cheese rather than a sauce or grated cheese, but it worked, although I think a bigger serving of the caramelised red onion chutney would be better to balance out the cheese with the sweet. My partner ordered The Cowboy, which was house chilli, nacho cheese, crispy bacon, jalapeños and sour cream. He tells me that although it was very tasty, and the beef frank was great in flavour, it could perhaps have done with a little extra chilli. However, we were both impressed, and it certainly didn't come close to breaking the bank. So for good quality hot dogs in a pleasant atmosphere for pretty damn good value, definitely give these guys a visit! We will definitely be returning to try the other hot dogs, the starters, the pizza menu, maybe some of the drinks and th...in fact... well.. lets just say we'll definitely be going back!

    Photos
    Dogs 'n' Dough - Bar

    Bar

    Dogs 'n' Dough - Kiev fries

    Kiev fries

    Dogs 'n' Dough - Downstairs through unmarked orange door are the Arcade games to play for free

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    Downstairs through unmarked orange door are the Arcade games to play for free

    Crazy Pedro's NQ - Inside

    Crazy Pedro's NQ

    3.8(8 reviews)
    0.1 miNorthern Quarter
    £

    Crazy Pedro's! I'd only heard about this before but never really got chance to look into it. Looked…read moreonline and saw that there's now two branches, so thought I'd pop into the Northern Quarter branch, which was a little tricky to find, but is basically nestled behind Affleck's, next door to Dive. Their decoration seems to be this weird quirky blue guy... is this Crazy Pedro? Lives up to his name anyway from what I can see. But moving on. You enter down some stairs into a basement space, which is dark, modern, and very Northern Quarter, right down to recycled aluminium lighting and filament light bulbs against bare brick. I like the colourful artwork though, and the music posters on the ceiling. It also has pinball machines, which is always a plus. It has a nice atmosphere too, friends meeting up to laugh and chat over big ol' pizzas, nachos, cocktails, and beer. As we enter, a friendly staff member at the bar welcomes us and lets us choose from the menu, giving us some advice on the pizzas, and when we decide we want to share a pizza, he lets us know that we can even have half-and-half on a pizza, so we can try a couple of options. Great idea. What's even better is that we appear to have arrived during Happy Hour, meaning a 16 inch freshly made pizza was only £10! Bargain! We opted for half pepperoni (classic!) and half The Cuban. Both arrived in decent time, and were hot, fresh and tasty. I particularly liked that the base tasted toasted, and wasn't soggy in the middle with the toppings sliding off into a fatty pile or anything like you tend to get with a lot of pizza places. The pepperoni was great, can't fault it, but The Cuban was really REALLY good! Ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles (gherkin slices) and mustard, and it was perfect. It wasn't greasy, it was full of flavour, and all the flavours worked together really well. I would DEFINITELY order this again! So although it was a fleeting visit, I was really impressed. Good atmosphere, friendly staff, surprisingly good prices for the Northern Quarter, and damn good quality pizza! Go! Go now!

    Definitely a fun twist on pizza. The KFC was an unexpected delight. Light but flavorful…read more Cocktails were a bit small but that's my American speaking. Price was very reasonable. Service was polite and quick. Has a young, after work, hip dive bar vibe. Great place to meet up with friends.

    Photos
    Crazy Pedro's NQ - Inside

    Inside

    Crazy Pedro's NQ - Outside

    Outside

    Crazy Pedro's NQ - Inside

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    Inside

    Lean & Mean - italian - Updated May 2026

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