The Distefano family has built a global restaurant empire from its adopted Manchester home town. But instead of being blinded by the lights of big schemes and paparazzi flashes, smaller concepts are taking the lead. Nick Johnstone speaks to managing director Marcello Distefano…

With two exclusive venues at Selfridges in Exchange Square, Manchester, now you can shop and dine in fantastic style. bottega restaurant, cocktail and champagne bar on the second floor serves an all-day seasonal menu of small plate cicchetti style dishes influenced by the Mediterranean flavours of Italy and Southern France. The restaurant features a spectacular marble bar where guests are welcome to call in for a bite to eat and a glass of champagne, wine or a cocktail or take a table and enjoy sharing original and signature seafood, pasta, meat, pizza and salad dishes and a glass of fine wine while enjoying possibly the best views of Manchester from the vast floor to ceiling windows.

Down on the lower ground floor Farmacia Del Dolce, a luxury café and patisserie offers the perfect destination for a quick pick-me-up or a leisurely afternoon tea. With a stylish, contemporary interior, Farmacia’s all day brunch dishes include a gourmet full English breakfast plate, eggs benedict and scrambled eggs and smoked salmon with rye bread. Farmacia also serves a delicious range of seafood, meat and vegetarian mains, salads, cream, champagne or afternoon teas, freshly baked cakes and pastries, all served with a range of soft drinks, fine wine, coffee, tea or champagne – the perfect restorative following a busy day of shopping. No reservation required.

San Carlo Group’s fourth Manchester venue, Farmacia Del Dolce, a luxury café and patisserie is now open on the lower ground floor of Selfridges, Exchange Square, Manchester. With a stylish, contemporary, chic interior, Farmacia serves a delicious range of European dishes, from all-day signature brunches to seafood, meat and vegetarian mains, salads, cream and champagne afternoon teas to freshly baked cakes and pastries. Open throughout store hours, the drinks menu offers an excellent choice of wine, champagne, teas, coffees and soft drinks, perfect for a quick pick-me-up brunch with coffee, a hot, expertly crafted main dish with a glass of wine or an indulgent afternoon champagne tea.

Farmacia Del Dolce follows hot on the heels of San Carlo bottega, the elegant restaurant, cocktail and champagne bar which opened on the second floor of Selfridges in October. Off to a flying start, bottega serves an all-day seasonal menu of small plate cicchetti style dishes influenced by the Mediterranean flavours of Italy and Southern France.  Already proving a hit with diners and critics alike, the restaurant features a spectacular marble bar where guests are welcome to call in for a bite to eat and a glass of champagne, wine or a cocktail or take a table and enjoy sharing original and signature seafood, pasta, meat, pizza and salad dishes and a glass of fine wine while enjoying possibly the best views of Manchester from the vast floor to ceiling windows.

To book a table at bottega call 0161 838 0571 (reservations recommended but not always necessary).

This month Cicchetti Manchester’s ‘Giro d’Italia’ (tour of Italy) feature menu heads along the southern peninsula to Calabria. Spicy and clean, the trademark of Calabrian cuisine is pepperoncino a fiery chilli pepper, try it in Nduja, a hot pepperoncino spread already popular with our diners at Cicchetti. Find it in our authentic Calabrian chicken, yellow pepper and nduja sauce dish. For a taste of polla rossa – a sweet red onion from Tropea try the salted cod baked in a milk onion, topped with parmesan cheese. Calabrian figs also feature in our fried donuts with figs and honey dessert.

Winner of multiple awards and renowned for its stylish outlook and menus, Cicchetti Manchester is officially in Vogue. October 10th will see Cicchetti transform for one night only as it becomes an official Vogue eatery for Fashion’s Night Out. Moving from London to Manchester for the first time, Vogue Fashion’s Night Out brings together the best restaurants, retailers, museums and galleries in a glittering celebration of fashion. Join us as Cicchetti rebrands for the event. Expect celebrity chefs, a unique, highly fashionable menu and more surprises. We’ll bring you more news soon.

Proving a hit with diners at Cicchetti, Fumo and Flying Pizza, our feature menu ‘Giro d’Italia’ (tour of Italy) features a different region of Italy each month, exploring the culinary specialities unique to its location.  As we leave the popular tourist region of Campania, September sees us head along the southern peninsula to the much less explored Calabria.  Spicy and clean, the trademark of Calabrian cuisine is pepperoncino a fiery chilli pepper. Here you are likely to find Nduia, a hot pepperoncino spread, cheeses such as caciocavallo, mature provola and pecorino, the cipolla rossa from Tropea is a sweet red onion used in rustic pies, meat dishes, and in sweet preserves. Dried figs are a staple in desserts as is bergamotto, a citrus fruit that grows along the south coast. A must for all foodies, we hope you’ll enjoy taking a gastronomic journey through Calabria with us, available through September only.

Marcello Distefano, San Carlo Group’s managing director is in training for his toughest challenge yet.

The 14^th September sees Marcello, son of Carlo Distefano, chairman and founder of the Group set off on a gruelling five day physical challenge “On the Road to Alp D’Huez” in aid of The Christie charity. Part of the On the Road campaign to raise £1million towards a new mobile chemotherapy unit for the Christy charity in the NW, between the 14^th and 18^th September Marcello will attempt to cycle over 650kms through five of the toughest stages of the Tour de France. We hope you’ll join us in wishing the best of luck to Marcello. If you’d like to support his efforts visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/ontheroad to donate. You can also show your support and follow Marcello’s progress on twitter @MarcelloMGD

San Carlo Group’s Fumo bar and restaurant in Birmingham offers a range of more than 50 cocktails – including ‘quirky creations’ and ‘twists on classics’.

The cicchetti restaurant in Waterloo Street has a stunning, sweeping marble bar with a team of professional mixologists who have developed the extensive list using leading brands of spirits, liqueurs, Champagne and sparkling wines.

Experienced bar-staff are also able to make bespoke drinks based on preferred personal taste.

We asked Fumo’s General Manager and mixologist Anthony Trueman to create some sweet and dessert inspired cocktails …

Eton Mess

This traditional ‘old school’ dessert has inspired a sumptuous cocktail full of strawberries, cream and crushed meringue.  A delicious and luxurious taste of Summer.

Ingredients

• 30ml Raspberry vodka
• Strawberry liqueur
• 1 teaspoon strawberry jam
• 1 x egg white
• Double cream
• 1 teaspoon Demerara sugar
• Mix and serve over ice.  Garnish with cream, crushed meringue and sliced strawberry.

Apple Crumble

Based on the quintessentially classic British pudding this light, crisp, refreshing cocktail has a sweet, spicy cinnamon edge – simple nostalgia.

Ingredients

• 10ml Cinnamon syrup
• 20ml Vanilla schnapps
• 50ml Gala apple vodka
• Garnish with an apple fan dipped in cinnamon

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