Saporito is a little surprise tucked away in Withington. One could be forgiven for walking past…read morethis small Italian restaurant but it's well worth the visit. The selection of food is amazing, they have the most pasta dishes I've seen at an Italian, for a long time, if not ever. The prices are also modest and the food far surpasses the price. The pizzas all looked great and the small bit I tried was delicious but I had the pasta however, which is where I think it really excels. My choice was the spinach ravioli which was absolutely amazing, I would not have been disappointed for twice the price. The house red wine is gorgeous by anyone's standards, I've paid a whole lot more for a whole lot less. The place itself is fairly small but with tables for parties of all sizes with quick and efficient service. You'll be wanting to keep this one to yourself, it's a hidden gem.

Nice café/bistro. Could spend an afternoon trying the products.read more

Small Italian with a well stocked shop. Service was quite slow, we were sat outside so in the end I…read morewent in to grab the menus. I opted for a classic lasanga. Now it was tasty but I was not loving it that much to warrant a return. The restaurants shop is well stocked with all manor of lovely goodies for your kitchen. definitely worth a browse if you ever eat in there. The ice cream cart looked pretty tasty though

I havent been in since the makeover. It was a gorgeous day so we sat outside in the sunshine…read more Tables and decor were immaculate and we chose a spot under the open roof. We got drink orders straight away and were presented with all new menus and a menu for what is going on there in the month of may whixh was very informative. My sister ordered lasagne and chips which she said was great and i had sea food skewers which were fresh although the tuna well done. The setting is lovely as os the service the food a hit too. The waiter was a bit strange and its not a cheap restaurant for a pizzeria hence dropping a star

Piccolino is a nice standard Italian restaurant, which although overpriced, has some reasonable set…read moremenus. Unfortunately we then detonated our bill by foolishly ordering wine by the glass after the first bottle, eventually ordering what was essentially a third bottle. I rather hoped the management might decide to charge us for three bottles but alas no. Error. Meanwhile, calamari and garlic prawn starters, while not earth shattering, were enjoyable. I wasn't crazy about my sea bass main but it was pretty good. I also liked the pizza we eventually got as it turned into dinnertime (yes, we were there a while). Piccolino has a good outdoor terrace which now has a cover presumably meaning it will be in use all year round and in all of Manchester's terrible weather. What really made the experience for me was the great wait staff who were consistently charming and attentive over very many hours and provided us with exacting the kind of relaxing convivial atmosphere two long separated gal pals needed to catch up!

Great to have an alternative to the 4 Indian restaurants in Gatley!…read more Piccolo has an interesting split level layout, with a mezzanine floor and cosy screened areas with sofas, where you can enjoy a more relaxed meal or drinks. They have entertainment some nights and whilst that would normally put me off, they got the volume and style right and it worked for them. The food is reasonably priced and well put together. We had calimari and ribs to start, followed by prawn risotto and Vesuvio pizza. The service is attentive, although for me just a little lacking in finesse sometimes, just seems like some of the staff are a little inexperienced. I've been here 3 times, and overall Piccolo for me is a high 3 out of 5 stars and it's been improving each time I visit.

We went to visit our friends who've moved to Gatley and they picked this Italian restaurant which…read moreis a short walk away. The restaurant has a live jazz singer on Friday and Saturday nights too. We came on a Saturday night and it was very busy - lucky we had booked. The menu was exciting and contained items we don't usually see in the chain Italian restaurant. For examples, I got the bruschetta with avocado, tomatoes and crab meat drizzled with pesto - every tasted good except I'm not a fan of plate decoration with balsamic glaze when it doesn't go with the dish. For my main, I ordered the tagliatelle with prawns and asparagus in a creamy tomato sauce, which was gorgeous! Unfortunately, we had no room for pudding but we had a sneak peek and they also looked good! Next time! The atmosphere was great and the restaurant is a fantastic space with seating at various levels inside the building which used to be a church, I think. The jazz singer was good but it could be awkward at times when you're eating and she's singing at you, so if this isn't your kind of thing, come on another night!

Food was great especially the ragout pasta with big chunks of meat. Service was great. Ambience was…read moreperfect. Very convenient location.

The best Italian in Heaton moor. Staff are lovely and the food is always top quality. As a lover of…read moreItalian food I have visited Italy a few times and can honestly say that Avanti serves just as good quality as the food over there. HIGHLY recommend their home made cheesecakes! Delicious!

Every suburb needs its own old school Italian restaurant, and Valentinos is Heaton Moor's. And take…read moreit from me, when I say this place is old fashioned, I mean it's old fashioned - all red velour walls, singing waiters called Mario and Luigi, and 'traditional' Italian food. This isn't to say that what they serve up is bad - just don't come here expecting unique and interesting Italian cuisine. Taking a look at the meatballs, lasagne's and four season pizzas on offer, I imagine that their menu hasn't been revamped since 1972. Still, the food I ate whilst I was there was all perfectly cooked and their wine list wasn't too bad either. Plus, a waiter serenaded me whilst he was bringing me my Tiramisu, and I'm a sucker for any bloke who fills me full of sweet cream whilst singing selections from Turandot in my general direction. Valentino's is a nice backwater Italian which is nice if you're looking for an unfussy, inexpensive meal. Just don't there expecting culinary fireworks.

After visiting Valentinos for many years we have noticed recently a drop in the quality of the food…read moreat times, however it has remained a firm favourite for a family meal or girls night out Sadly, having recommended Vals to my son and his girlfriend for a romantic meal, they have been so badly treated we won't be returning. Having complained about a hair in the food they were merely given a shrug of the shoulders and no apology! When they asked to see the manager the same waitress appeared purporting to be said Manager, still no apology or explanation. They explained their dissatisfaction and were told not to return to the restaurant again....don't worry they won't be and neither will the rest of our family and friends who have been loyal customers for over 25 years. Extremely disappointed in what was once a lovely place for a nice meal....customer service and staff attitude leaves much to be desired

The latest addition to the Croma mini empire…read more This place is on the main strip in Didsbury village and I'm sure it will do very well. It's a large, light and bright space with a vaguely nautical feel to it (probably due to the big model ship my seat faced). It's painted all white inside with big windows looking onto Wilmslow Road and it's been well designed for comfort and relaxation. I don't know how my photo of the purple allium flower on the table came out so dark actually as my overall impression of the place is very bright and spacious. Croma is mainly pizza and pasta, no complaints here! I knew what I wanted straight away (for once) and got the Agelfino pizza. This was smoked haddock and cheese on a thin base. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I kept on saying it the whole time I was eating it too, to my friend's delight! My friend was happy though, as all the pizza is available on gluten free dough, for an extra £1.50. My pizza was £8. The restaurant could do with sharper knives though as our biceps were getting a workout cutting the pizza piece by piece! The only bit I didn't appreciate was having to ask the waitress for my change back after waiting for a few minutes. I'll decide on the tip love!! However I will be back as I loved my pizza Agelfino.

After trying a slice of croma's pizza at the pizza off, it was well and truly on my to do list…read more Popped in for lunch with my mum. She opted for an aubergine based dish which tasted epic. Aubergine, cheese and tomato. I went for a pizza which had spicy sausage, onion and mushroom. Really enjoyable but I was a bit gutted I didnt have my mums dish. For desert we shared a banoffee mess, my fave!! The restaurant itself was really light and airy, the staff were attentive and friendly. I would certainly return.

Azzurro is a lovely independent Italian restaurant on Burton Road that always seems to be bustling…read morewith patrons. It's a good example of well-made traditional dishes in a modern, clean setting (although I'd prefer more rustic decor to match the food, so hard to come by these days). The menu itself is mostly made up of pasta, fish and meat dishes, and whilst it's quite short, there's a blackboard with daily specials that always has something that stands out. The last time I came here I tried the Penne Senese: penne pasta with Tuscan fennel salami, walnuts, brandy, cream and parmesan. It was heavenly. I also tried some of my date's Tuscan style wild boar meat stew, a little more expensive than my dish at £13.95 but well worth it, it melted in my mouth. The service was a little slow when I came here but the smiles and the overall atmosphere more than made up for it, and anyway, we were in no rush.

I love going to Azzurro and have been for years now. It's small setting is perfect for dates and if…read moreyou have a bigger party they push the tables together for you and hey presto, that's just as great too. With a modern interior, low lighting and lots of relaxed customers there always seems to be an intimate and friendly feel to the place. The owner Emin seems to be a really friendly guy and couldn't do enough for us when we went last time. But, let's get to the most important part, the FOOD! They always have a good board of specials on, which includes the fish of the week, whilst the permanent menu has some great classics. They really know how to cook a great Bistecca, and the mussels I had for my starter in a white wine sauce are the best I've had in Manchester. I wouldn't recommend going during the week though as it's always pretty dead and so is the atmosphere, but if you like Italian food Friday and Saturday night are a good choice.