Food
manteca applies a nose-to-tail approach to Italian cooking, with its own salumi and pasta made in-house visible from an open kitchen and counter seating that reviewers say creates an intimate feel despite the restaurant's larger footprint. Opinions are somewhat split — some diners find the experience underwhelming relative to expectations, while others come away with more mixed but generally positive feelings about the food and setting. At 4.4 stars and expensive pricing, it's a reasonable choice for Italian cooking with a distinctive nose-to-tail angle, suited to a casual-but-considered dinner or lunch for couples or small groups. It's worth trying with moderate rather than sky-high expectations.
✨ Reasons to go
💡 Good to know
⏱️ Typical visit
1h30
🕰️ Best time
lunchtime, afternoon, early evening, evening or late night
🚶 Walking intensity
Easy pace
What people say
"Sadly, our experience was quite underwhelming overall. The restaurant itself is beautiful and very cosy. It’s a large space, but the layout makes it feel intimate, so it would work well both for couples and bigger groups. The focaccia and ricotta we had to start were excellent and easily the highlight of the meal. Unfortunately, the rest didn’t quite live up to that first impression, especially given the price. The vodka pasta was cooked perfectly in terms of texture, but the sauce felt a little dry. The plaice was nicely prepared, but there wasn’t much to it - very little flesh on the bone, so it didn’t feel particularly satisfying. We also ordered the beans and salad as sides. Both were fine, but the salad felt especially poor value at £7, as it was essentially a very small bowl of leaves. What really affected the experience was the timing of our booking. We were able to book a table for 14:45, despite the restaurant closing at 15:00. As a result, we felt rushed to order, and while we were still eating, the staff had already started cleaning up around us. Everyone was polite, but it made the meal feel awkward and took away from the atmosphere. I don’t think bookings should be offered so close to closing time, as it really impacted what could otherwise have been a much nicer experience."
— Agata Wasiak
