San Carlo Cicchetti, Manchester

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 slightly bland for me but I liked the crunch from the samphire although Mr Nom thought the seasoning was about right. The lamb cutlets with a tomato sauce were cooked well although there wasn’t much to it. We also ordered a side portion of roast sweet potato which came topped with heaps of pancetta.

Dessert was not needed although we did share a pannacotta. A powerful scent of vanilla was running through the pannacotta although I wasn’t complaining because I love vanilla with berries. We finished the meal with a latte for me and a cappuccino for Mr Nom, and by end I didn't want to move because I was full to the brim.

It was simple cooking at Cicchetti with subtle flavours and enthusiastic service to match. The decor inside was bright and airy which is what I like in restaurants as dim lights sends me to sleep.