Reviews San Carlo

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Carol Thomason
+5
Took our mum/mum in law for a birthday lunch treat on Sunday last. From arriving to leaving the staff were very attentive and the food was excellent and very well presented. I had Monkfish with a creamy tomato based sauce which I highly recommend. The birthday girl had a small lasagne as a main and was not overfaced (as she usually is when eating out) and my husband had Carbonara which was scrummie. Bottle of house white and desserts, all of which were perfect. Thank you San Carlos for the great food and relaxing atmosphere x
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Mark Dowd
+5
Wedding reception for 20 in private function room. Accommodated last minute guest, gave youngsters an option on the set menu, excellent attentive service throughout with delicious food. No pressure to vacate premises after four hours. Absolutely first rate. Mille grazie a tutti!
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Samantha Beavers
+5
We came to your restaurant on Friday 6 April it was very busy, but you all made us so welcome. The food was spot on and your staff attentive to our needs. Good all round night.
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Milena Rebelo
+5
We celebrated my birthday e we simply adore it: the staff, the service, the food, the wine, the festive atmosphere... We liked it so much we went back the next day... A thank you to the whole team, who gave us a special day...And a special thanks to the portuguese André, for the attention and the care given...
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Lyn Cunningham
+5
Fabulous meal, my favourite seafood & steak, great friendly service and good friends
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Sherie Louise Monaghan
+5
Unreal! Brilliant and lovely staff, beautiful food, great atmosphere! Nothing to complain about at all
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Gastroadventures
+5
A brilliant Birthday Lunch. Great food, professional service and a faultless meal thoroughly enjoyed. Not the cheapest by any means but you get what you pay for, and here that is top quality food and service in classical surroundings in the centre of Manchester. A great way to break away from the shopping and cool down the cards.
7 months ago
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Kavya Kohli
+4
Authentic

Been to Italy a few times and it felt very authentic. With many Italian staff members. Loved the decor and great atmosphere! The tables are too squished together but apart from that food was amazing and enjoyed my meal here!
May 24, 2019
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Akshita Chawla
+4
Best food ever!

We are always delighted to visit here. On Monday the service was exemplary as always and the food was the best we’ve ever had. Can’t wait for our next visit.
May 24, 2019
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Heena Gupta
+4
Visited this restaurant on a spur of the moment decision. The staff seemed slightly fraught, it was a Saturday afternoon and the restaurant was busy. We were told that there would be a half hour wait for a table and taken to the bar to wait. We did notice other customers were eating at the bar and we would have been happy doing the same however trying to get attention from the staff was not easy. Eventually we were taken to a table and our order was taken. One of the waiters brought food, not ours and was slightly flustered when we told him so. When our food did arrive it was extremely pleasant and hot. I wasn’t happy about the standard 10% service charge which was automatically added to the bill, it wasn’t the amount it was the principal.
Jun 20, 2018
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Shresta S Rao
+4.5
Love this place... Located at the heart of the city, this place offers the best Italian cuisine. I'd been here to celebrate my friends birthday, indeed the staff made it memorable for us.
The food is tasty and the portions are adequate. Also they let us bring cake from outside and offered candles. The staff joined the birthday celebrations too. Would highly recommend this one.
Sep 08, 2017
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Tiffany
+4.5
We were at San Carlo Manchester much earlier this week.

The service was absolutely outstanding throughout the meal.

I had the seafood gnocchi which was really tasty. Everyone else really enjoyed their meals too.

Overall a great afternoon with great people and unreal service.

Highly recommend the zucchini fritters - they are fantastic!
Dec 17, 2016
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Stephen O' Brien
+4
Had a couple of customers over from Yorkshire for a night out ,and they had never been to San Carlo ,loved the evening and whole set up ,I have been many times and always enjoyed it .last-night I complained that my steak was cooked as requested ,but just so tough ,it looked fantastic on the plate ,so disappointing,spoke to the waiter about it ,who brought over his manager ,who just said it looks very nice cooked as your request ,all tick box ,but why is it so tough ,no reply ,just took it back ,left more than half on my plate . just not interested, so disappointing ,wont stop me going back ,but if you eat out a lot like I do ,I know a good steak from a poor one
Nov 18, 2016
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Fly
+4
Fabulous Italian. Yes it's a chain but unlike the others. Service is efficient and the pasta is how it should be 'al dente'! Ordered the seafood platter to share and what a delight. Followed by spaghetti with clams and prawns. Delicious. Will definitely return!
Feb 27, 2016
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Davide Dama
+3.5
Ristorante e pizzeria italiano. Ambiente accogliente. Locale molto frequentato. Non facile da raggiungere se non si e'pratici. Buona la pizza e giusto il prezzo. Personale molto simpatico e disponibile.
Nov 22, 2015
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Nurin Amran
+4
Decided to try this place because I am a huge fan of their other restaurant in London. Loving the hype of this restaurant and the food are good even though they are not as good as the ones in London. What I didn't like was having to wait long to be seated. I suggest that you book a table before coming. Otherwise, great service and great food.
Oct 29, 2015
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WingCommander
+5
Hands down the best Italian I've ever enjoyed.

Amazing scallops entree, delicious chicken main, and great Italian wines.

The service was traditional, warm, engaging and unobtrusive.

Great setting, ostentatious without being over the top. You cannot help but love the family run atmosphere, backed up by Italian food done well.
Sep 28, 2015
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Siddharth Mundeja
+3.5
Feels very high end throughout. Always very busy so you might be asked to wait at the bar. While you are waiting get yourself a drink. Watching the bartender preparing the drink is itself worth the money. Food is good. Let's say they do justice to what they say they will see you, nothing more nothing less. Everything you order will come at once, so order in batches (2-3 items at a time) else the food will get cold.

Try their Pizzas and the Dessert Platter.
May 26, 2015
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Chris
+4.5
Trendy. Good food, interesting decor and a fun atmosphere. Popular, so waiting for a table by the bar is the norm.
Dec 01, 2011
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Ben Atkinson
+4.5
Excellent atmosphere! Food was excellent! I recommend the steak, one of the best I have had
Jul 05, 2011
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Edward
+4.5
Lovely. Bustling and vibrant really tasty food and a great place to people watch will go again
May 15, 2011
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Louise Wood
+4.5
10/10. Best restaurant in Manchester! If you want atmosphere, great service, amazing food (Especially the tomato garlic bread) and a good night GO GO GO!! You will not be dissapointed and yes you generally see a footballer in there!!
Apr 11, 2011
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Ronaldo
+4.5
Great Atmosphere. If you wanna catch a Manchester celeb or footballer,San Carlo is the joint.
Very bust atmosphere ,never seen so many staff,good looking girls on the front desk,yea.

Food ,well the atmosphere is better,I find the food good,just that,not fantastic.Can be a little ott pricewise.But great place to impress your girl. A deffo
Feb 04, 2011
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Steve
+4.5
Good food. Went down with few mates, top food
Jan 16, 2011
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JC.Philips
+4.5
Seatig issue!. Perfect! Not a great fan of pasta joints but they can do no wrong. Fair price and always busy which tells it's own story ! only bad point the seating is every close together and can get very claustrophobic and even worse when your with younger children!
Dec 08, 2010
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Dawn Allen
+4.5
Always fantastic. San Carlo is my favourite restaurant anywhere, The atmosphere and the food is always great and the Italian buzz transports you to Italy from the minute you walk through the door. The mixed grilled fish is enormous but a great way to spend an afternoon. I love to sit near the kitchen and watch them preparing the food .There is always someone famous in every time you go so it is great for a bit of Manchester celebrity spotting.
Nov 08, 2010
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Joe Richardson
+4.5
This is one of the best resturants in the north! Great value for money! Food is stunning!
Sep 23, 2010
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Neil Plant
+4.5
Well sad it maybe but I am sat here on my own (business trip) having just eaten the most mouthwatering steak I have ever put in my mouth! Coupled with some unbelievable spinnach, fried slim cut gerkin and sautee potatoes! Then we come to the wine, wow after asking for a good red I was given a glass of Barbela D'alba D.O.C (for those that know!) one of the most beautiful wines to grace my palate! Truly wonderful. On the flip side I came here on my own and I must say I felt I was entering a potentious over-priced restuarant, but sitting here I can only say I have had a fabulous dining experience which was topped of by the friendly people who encouraged me into conversation. I've dined in some very very nice restuarants, my favourite being The Cliff, Barbados... But in a different way this place is everything as good. Enjoy, I am!!!
Jun 09, 2010
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Craig Smith
+4.5
Perfect! Not a great fan of pasta joints but they can do no wrong. Fair price and always busy which tells it's own story !
May 26, 2010
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Peter Davis
+4.5
Worth a visit. Went there with 5 coleagues and had one of the best meals for a long time.

It is noisy and busy but worth making a reservation because the people waiting outside are enormous.
May 21, 2010
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Grace Molloy
+4.5
I have bean to this resteraunt many times both the one in manchester and in liverpool and it is FAB u should try it xxxxxxxxx
Apr 20, 2010
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Karen D
+4.5
My favourite Italian in Manchester great atmosphere. Staff always friendly. Recommend the lobster linguini
Mar 30, 2010
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Guy
+4.5
The best italian in Manchester. Bustling authentic restaurant with great staff and a superb menu, worth visiting day or night
Nov 15, 2009
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Max
+4.5
Without doubt my favourite restaurant in Manchester. Amazing food, amazing service, amazing atmosphere every single night. It's busy every night of the week. Great selection of wines, waiters that know about the food. It's just awesome. Easily one of the finest Italian restaurants in the country.
Nov 10, 2009
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Satisfied Eater
+4.5
Just special. Best Italian I've ever had outside of Italy, beatiful restaurant, waiters have a great sense of humour, and footballer watching is always fun!
Aug 13, 2009
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Susan Broadbent
+4.5
This restaurant is buzzing at the weekend. Cant do enough for you and all waiters have a sense of humour and are more than helpful brilliant!!!!
Jul 30, 2009
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Tony Cheung
+4.5
Fabulous food, busy atmosphere, loads of beautiful people dining. Occassional footie stars present! Tonight, we spotted Glen Johnson (just after seeing Benitez), then also Vincent Kompany (Man City).
Jul 09, 2009
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PavRo
+4.5
Love the food here..fair service...Among the best Italian Restaurants around
Apr 15, 2009
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Keith Durrington
+4.5
Excellent!!. Best Italian I have ever had and the staff are brill
Apr 01, 2009
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Som Emadi
+4.5
The best Italian food in Manchester by a long stretch! Service could be slightly better but it was still way above par. It's not cheap but you will get more than your moneys worth!
Mar 18, 2009
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Nomface
+4
San Carlo Cicchetti has always been a place on our agenda and surprisingly Mr Nom chose it as the nights venue as we walked past House of Fraser on Deansgate. Italian small plates as opposed to the usual starter and main format however the portion sizes were bigger than expected but we just about polished off all of the dishes.  The first dish to arrive was duck salad, it was flavourful with pancetta and the apple balanced the dish really well with the sweetness coming through the saltiness. We had to order a pasta dish from an Italian restaurant, especially as I couldn’t remember the last time I had pasta of any description. I was looking forward to the pappardelle. There was just enough sauce to coat the fresh pasta and the fragrant truffle running through the dish.  The suckling pig was enjoyable although I regret leaving it too late to eat. As it cooled the meat became a little tough but the meat was well flavoured with a hint of rosemary, simple yet tasty.  The halibut was slightl
Jun 13, 2014
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Bacon Onthebeech
+4.5
When it came, I was initially slightly disappointed, the bread was clearly too thick, not like a proper pizza base at all. I couldn't wait to snaffle it though and as usual burnt the roof of my mouth on the molten cheese. (I used to do this with Findus French bread pizzas in the 80's whilst watching The Tube on a Friday night). The flavour however was superb. I've decided to only eat pizza with N'Duja on from now on. It just works so well; the heat of the spreading sausage and the gooey melted mozzarella is a match made in heaven for me.
I actually don't mind the thick bread base, as in this case the flavour of the topping can take it. But I'm not sure I can call it the very best pizza in town because of the thicker base - I'm being quite strict on this.
I enjoyed it though, but Cicchetti is as much about the service and atmosphere as it is good food I always think. I will be back, and next time I will be getting the Morgy, and very likely will be served by an archetypal Italian wait
Oct 21, 2013
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The Hungry Manc
+4.5
If you’re not already familiar with Cicchetti style eating – think tapas but Italian. Lots of sharing of traditional dishes that are more about the flavour than the presentation – although it’s fair to say they weren’t exactly just slopped on a plate here.
Jun 06, 2013
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Sam Pratt
+4
Went here for an early Valentine's meal with my girlfriend who recommended it. After reading mixed reviews I didn't know what to expect. We did book a table which was needed as the place was full at around 8 on Thursday night which was promising. The service was very quick, maybe a bit too quick but we couldn't complain really. The menu is big with loads to choose from. I had whitebait to start which was very nice and a big portion. My girlfriend had Mozzarella in breadcrumbs which she also enjoyed. Then as mains I had Beef medalions cooked perfect medium rare, in a truffle cream sauce. And my girlfriend had a lasagna. Both mains I couldn't fault at all and the speed the food came put was impressive, especially with how busy it was. I would recommend it and would go back, very good food.
Feb 13, 2015
5
Hellymens Ingham
+5
I have wanted to visit San Carlo for such a long time and was thrilled when my husband said he was taking me for my birthday. Everything about the experience exceeded my expectations from the moment we walked in the door to the moment we were waved off! The staff were so attentive and helpful - we took up their wine recommendations (which included wines to suit all pockets) and food favourites and every mouthful was delicious - I tried food I thought I didn't even like (the chicken liver starter) and found it cooked to perfection and utterly delicious. I was sung to, given extra birthday pudding and generally treated like a superstar the whole time we were there and cannot wait to go back again! Thanks to all (especially our cheeky waitor!) for making it a wonderful birthday treat!
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Sop S
+4
Only rated the food 3 out of 5 as I had to send the green spinach risotto back because it was far far too salty to be palatable. Which they rectified straightaway. We had to sit at the bar for our good since we hadn’t pre booked but it was only 6.30pm so we were surprised it would be full that early. Prices on the higher side and portions on the very small side. Think Italian tapas making it a little expensive if you’re hungry. The sharing dessert was nice, a mini selection of their larger desserts. If the food was outstanding, the prices may be justified though.
5
Cleo oloha
+5
Amazing food from start to finish. Service was superb from the waiters. Atmosphere was very lively and busy. Had a lovely meal. Looking forward to going back.
4
Amy Grimsley
+4
Food: Starters and main courses were amazing. All very tasty and a good choice of vegetarian options. Would definitely recommend for a good quality meal. Location: great location, just off Deansgate so close to the main roads and lots of other bars / shops. Service: Good service but could be improved. The busyness of the restaurant means that it’s hard to get attention unless the server is attentive. At one point we had 2 rounds of drinks because 2 different waiters took our order and then a server dropped the cutlery on a guest - slightly chaotic! Atmosphere: Good atmosphere, authentic feeling and spacious meaning it is a nice place to relax and have a nice meal
4
Natalie Batich
+4
A first time visit for me. Heard only good things about San Carlo so I was looking forward to the visit. My food was delicious, couldn't fault it at all. Unfortunately the Service wasn't the best. It was hard for us to get a server's attention. However, to be fair it was extremely busy being the week before Christmas and New Year. The more experienced Servers were excellent but I think it was just far too busy. The atmosphere was really good I must say and I did very much enjoy my visit.
5
S Pal
+5
Really nice high end Italian restaurant, great ambience, mouth watering foods, warm caring service. Staff's are great and makes you feel really special. Been there for our office Christmas do - Love it!
4
Valerie Rebelo
+4
Lovely restaurant, great ambience and good food. Service could’ve been better. Kept having to call someone to serve instead of them proactively coming around to ensure everything was okay.
5
Melbourne Lord
+5
That was my first time in this place. Lovely service from the first step to this lovely restaurant. Atmosphere and food feel like I'm really in nice restaurant somewhere in Italy Thanks staff for everything That was unbelivable lunch Defenitely will come back xx
5
Phil Sharp
+5
Lovely Italian restaurant in Manchester city centre, great choice if you have a large party as the restaurant is huge. Super menu and food is to a very high standard. Service is good even though they were extremely busy. Highly recommend this place as it also seems to be a celebrity hotspot in manchester.
5
Sonny Taylor
+5
Great food and the waiter is friendly and helpful. I ordered the burrata and aubergine for my starter which was flavourful from the aubergine . For my main I ordered spaghetti bolognaise which was delicious and for dessert, I ordered crème brûlée which was tasty.
4
Lim Soon Sim
+4
Friendly and fun staff. Food had strong flavours but well cooked. It was a bit too much flavour for me but could be fine for others.
5
Martin Johnson
+5
This is a really 5 Star place, smart,elegant, great atmosphere and the food was fantastic. Recommended for a Special occasion or if you want to impress someone 😉 🙂
4
Thomas Mackinder
+4
A great place for dinner in the area, the Italian cuisine is to a really good standard and the quantity you get is also substantial enough. We found the service to be absolutely brilliant, constantly topping up our glasses from our bottle and very speedy from taking our order to the arrival of food. It was also very busy, I would say maybe it’s too busy though and does feel a bit crowded at points with a big open plan arrangement of tables. Overall I would say I’d definitely recommend, especially with friends or a group of people. It can get pricey, but well worth it.
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