Went here this evening with my little boy, it was quiet but it was only 5.45pm! Had a lovely meal,…read morereally enjoyed my spaghetti carbona and I'm sucker for garlic bread and this was delicious. So much so that the leftovers we brought home were eaten almost immediately. He had a pizza and they were kind enough to point out that the salami they use on pizzas is spicy so they brought a side dish for him to try it (he loved it). Pudding was tiramisu and was great, I like mine not too strong on the coffee and this delicious. We'll be back to try more of the menu!

If there's one thing Manchester's spoilt for, it's Italian restaurants. With the likes of San…read moreCarlo, Rosso, Felicini, Don Giovanni's, we can't move for a sea of pasta and a big bouncy castle of fluffy garlic bread. OMG... and I very rarely use that phrase, but... let's just repeat that. Big bouncy castle of fluffy garlic bread. It's my pungently-scented fantasy. Ahem. Back to the task at hand, reviewing San Rocco. There's no doubt that the village of Hale in Altrincham is delightfully, beautifully pretty. There are a few San Roccos dotted around Manchester but this one is really complemented by its environment. Situated opposite the bowling green it maintains a picturesque veneer and doesn't disappoint inside. Because you're out in the 'burbs you're likely to find it busy with couples and families (as you would in the city of course), but with a much less rushed, less stressed, more relaxed atmosphere. The decor has really undergone attention to detail here - it's stylish without forsaking comfort. The food is perhaps not traditionally authentic Italian but it's extremely tasty; little touches like adding egg yolk, cream and crispy pancetta to a Carbonara make it all the more special, and chilli oil on a salami pizza. There are warm spices and tangy herbs at work in most dishes and it really does feel like a treat, albeit a reasonably priced one. If you ever need to get out of the smoggy centre once in a while I'd highly recommend Hale anyway, and if you're hungry I'd advise you to go here. The service is smooth and friendly, and the food will please you just as much.

Poor experience in possibly a nice place…read more I went here for lunch before doing a bit of light charity shopping (which Altrincham is great for). We had a stroll up and down looking at local eateries on Regent road before deciding on Coco's. It's a classic old fashioned italian place in style. Packets of breadsticks on every table. Photos of Italian actors on the walls. A photo of Rome, I think, on the ceiling upstairs. A bit dated but pleasant to sit in. I ordered a Tuna Melt sandwich from the lunch menu and was pretty disappointed. The grease literally ran down my chin on more than one occasion as I was biting into it and the underneath looked like it had been dipped in oil it was so shiny. The side salad was fine. I also ordered a banoffee pie to split with one of the girls I was with. When it arrived it became obvious the cream on top had gone off as it smelt and tasted cheesy. Pretty gross but the pie underneath hadn't been great either. When we told our waiter (who I think was the manager) he was very surprised as he said they'd just been delivered the day before. He offered us a replacement dessert which was declined but he came back and offered us complementary tea and coffees which did improve things. I had the vanilla ice-cream that came with the pie and I thought for an Italian restaurant it was disappointing. I also noticed there was no lock on the door of the toilet I used and one of the sinks was out of order. So there's room for improvement here. However the other 3 girls I was with all enjoyed their meals - an omelette, a meatball sandwich and salmon with veg. So hopefully there is more to this place than my own experience, which is why I've given it an extra star.

The carbonara is so delicious I had it for as a starter, then again for my main course!read more

Sugo has basically universal acclaim on here and tripadvisor so I feel a bit nervous not to give an…read moreentirely glowing review but this is based on my experience on the night and I wouldn't warn people off, refuse to go again etc, I'm just personally not chomping at the bit to go back. Basically, the main issue was the food with starters way too salty for my tastes which is weird because salty food doesn't normally/ever bother me and actually I eat a unhealthy amount of salt on a daily basis. This was the case with all three starters (we shared). Main course was better although for my tastes al dente went way too far into just undercooked and detracted from the sauce. I thought the choice of dishes was great though - really interesting combinations of both meat and seafood. It's good to see a creative Italian menu when often it's just the classics which of course are all delightful but ultimately a bit repetitive if you eat Italian food a lot. The red wine was absolutely brilliant - Baglio Gibellina U Passimiento (can't remember vintage, maybe 2014). I will definitely seek it out again. Service was generally good although they didn't handle the 1h30 kickout very well - we had finished our mains sometime beforehand but weren't asked if we wanted dessert or anything, which upset those of us who missed out on our desired salted caramel peanut butter ice cream. It's also anathema to Italian dining culture to have a turnaround time like that, I understand their space constrictions but it's jarring. I'd advise you make sure you arrive on time, don't chat before ordering and follow up proactively if you want dessert.

Altrincham's newest southern Italian inspired restaurant, opened by two chaps who met whilst…read moreworking at Honest Crust in nearby Market House. They stick to a seasonal menu here, sourcing ingredients either directly from the Puglia region of Italy or from local producers such as Manchester Veg People. Even the earthernware crockery is imported. Everything is homemade and the pasta is served as it should be: al dente. The restaurant is small (30 covers) so you can imagine it's very popular. They now have an online booking system and allocate tables for an hour and a half per booking. It's cantina-style seating, so you may end up sharing a table with other diners. The open kitchen enables you to see the chefs in action and smell all the delicious herbs they're adding. It's not like any Italian restaurant I've been in before - they play whatever music they like so we had Manchester's own Morrissey and Oasis to listen to whilst we ate. The frequently changing menu is small (which helps with the decision-making) and I could have ordered any of the dishes. Opting for clams to start and then slow-cooked venison pasta, it became one of the most satisfying meals I've had in a while - so flavoursome and delicious. They serve soughdough from Trove bakery which was superb at soaking up the sauces. The wine and beers, from Reserve and Blackjack respectively, change regularly according to the seasons, and their sorbet and ice creams are supplied by Ginger's Comfort Emporium. Though Market House is a massive draw for foodies everywhere, Sugo is definitely a destination in its own right and I'll keep coming back here.

This is a nice Pizza Express location located close to the railway station in Hale, around a…read more15-minute walk away from Altrincham town centre. They have recently refurbished this location lately with the "Pizzeria" branding, I think the new look for the restaurant is so much fresher, and although the lighting could be better (It is a little dark inside), they have made this location look so much better. I would suggest booking at peak times, there aren't a lot of tables as this is a rather small branch and can get full quickly, many tables are designed to fit larger groups of at least four, and there is limited availability for smaller groups, so booking via the Pizza Express app would be a good idea to avoid disappointment. The staff here seem rather friendly, especially an Italian male (The manager?), who even began chatting to me regarding my Fantasy Football team. I ordered my usual pizza which is a GF Pollo Pancetta, it had really good flavours and was cooked well, especially the meat. Pancetta can burn and become a little chewy rather quickly, however, the meat was cooked perfectly and was a great combination for my pizza. TIP: Download the Pizza Express app, you can get bonuses and rewards through checking-in via their app, the only flaw with this is you have to spend £10 to claim an award or receive loyalty points, and you can't use it in conjunction with any other offers. 4* - A nice Pizza Express location with good food and friendly service, I just wish there was more space around the restaurant!

A gluten and dairy free pizza is hard to come by, but I have found it. Cheeseless pizza with a…read moregluten free base tastes pretty good (maybe that was the prosecco DOCG). I just wish there were gluten free dough balls with garlic margarine! Maybe I'll send a suggestion email to head office. The waiter was from near Venice, and as I had recently been but not tried aperol- because it looks like irn bru- he gave me a free shot. Bonus! It was heaving on Friday night but we still didn't have to wait long for our meal. And 2 courses plus a drink for £18.95 isn't bad.

My first encounter with Honest Crust was little over a year ago at the first bout of Friday Food…read moreFight and I have been a very big fan ever since. I love their pizzas, made on a sourdough base and using the best quality and fresh Italian ingredients, they are cooked in less than 90 seconds in their wood-fired oven and taste incredible. On this occasion I shared an Honest Crust pizza with Neil C. who was as equally impressed with the pizza as I was. We went for a pretty classic pizza - Portobello mushrooms, garlic oil, tomato and mozzarella. It was served on a wooden board, straight out of the oven and was divine! They have around 8 pizzas on their menu to choose from, including some rather amazing specials. Notably the smoked pig cheek, red onion, fennel seed, tomato, chilli, pecorino and mozzarella pizza.. Yes! pig cheeks on a pizza! No wonder i like these guys,

Honest Crust seriously raised the benchmark for quality pizzas when they hit the scene with their…read moremobile wood-fired oven a couple of years ago. They became regulars at markets such as Altrincham's and there was always a queue of customers waiting hungrily for their wares. Fast forward to today and though there have been a few new pizza makers setting up their stalls in markets, at festivals and in bricks-and-mortar venues across Greater Manchester, they are still held in the highest regard. More so for the fact they have a permanent site inside Altrincham Market House which has itself won awards for being a fantastic food destination. Their blue mosaic tiled pizza oven (shipped over from Italy) is a thing of beauty and sits proudly producing probably several hundred doughy masterpieces each week. Their thin, beautifully charred sough dour pizzas are available in a regularly changing range of options, though they are probably better-known for their Atomica which includes 'Nduja, (a hot, spreadable sausage). The city centre, once devoid of seriously decent pizza, now has the likes of PLY, Rudy's, and other restaurants upping their game; Honest Crust are, for me, the real trailblazers and have to be eaten at repeatedly.