"If you've never been to Pesto on the corner of
Deansgate and John Dalton Street then you are missing
out on one of Manchester's most unique dining experiences.
We visited the first week it opened, entertaining
clients, and whilst the decor was extremely impressive,
the food and service was considerably poor. As a
result we'd given the restaurant a wide birth since,
although have regularly visited the excellent bar,
which was one of the first places in town to serve
Peroni Gran Reserva. Following many good reviews,
including those from our 'trusted reviewers' we
thought we'd give it the benefit of the doubt and
put our bad experience down to teething troubles
and decided to pay it another visit.
The
ambience has remained unique and the whole place
is impressive - the bar is hand crafted from original
stone architecture recovered from historic buildings
and the walls are full of wonderful decorations.
They've also had a change in table layout since
our last visit and it makes the restaurant a lot
more relaxed and comfortable than before. In typical
Italian fashion, there's plenty of outside seating,
facing the street and allowing you to watch the
world go by albeit with the cruelist of Mancunian
weather. The concept is wonderful - over 35 different
dishes, each representing the various regions
of Italy and served in small tapas sized portions,
allowing customers to sample various dishes from
the many pasta’s, seafood, meat, salad and
mini pizzas on offer.
We
opted for the Cannelloni al Ragu (pancakes filled
with scallops & prawns), which was very tasty
and great value at just £3.25. The Arancini
(fried balls of saffron rice stuffed with mozzarella)
was even better value at £2.95. Pesto's
own Genoese fish stew, Cioppino, contained a fair
selection of aquatic vertebrates for a dish so
small and again was worth it's £3.75 price
tag. The only disappointment was the Gnocchi con
Pesto Basilica & Parmigiano, which was very
poor it has to be said. The gnocci was overcooked,
the fresh basil pesto too powerful & the parmesan
had not been melted, was still rock hard and shaved
in large chunks which made it almost impossible
to swallow.
Would
we be returning? The answer would still be a 'yes'.
Pesto offers a great concept in dining, Italian
food in portions small enough that you can eat
as much or as little as the rest of your afternoon
requires. It's also in a great location - just
a short walk to the shops on Deansgate and King
Street, very close to the Royal Exchange and Opera
House and only a short stroll to the MEN Arena
and Bridgewater Hall meaning the tapas size portions
are perfect for a pre-show bite to eat. It's also
very good value for money at £3 to £4
a dish and offers one of the most welcoming dining
areas and unique bars in the city centre."
-
restaurants of manchester (24/11/2007 visited
on a wednesday afternoon)
