On top of its chic refurbishment, Cicchetti Manchester has launched its new winter menu, hosting a media lunch for more than 10 of the city’s well-known press and restaurant critics.

As with all of our food, dishes have been created from the freshest seasonal ingredients sourced directly from the markets of Milan and showcase the very finest in regional Italian cuisine.

The winter offering features a mix of classic favourites such as pigeon breast paté with black truffle and toasted Altamura bread and exciting additions including Venetian cod baked in an iron pot with onions and parmesan and Bruschetta with pumpkin, onion and salted ricotta.

San Carlo Cicchetti reinterprets the delightful Venetian culinary custom of cicchetti; delicious small plate dishes designed to share or eat alone. The Autumn/Winter menu is available now in Cicchetti and Fumo, Manchester.

New dishes include:

• Venetian Salt cod croquettes with lemon mayonnaise
• Salmon and beetroot Carpaccio with pistachio pesto
• Pappardelle Castagne with wild boar ragu & chestnut
• Slow roasted pork belly with winter spices, potato and cabbage
• Purple broccoli fried with onions, breadcrumbs, garlic and Altamura bread

And specials:

• Pumpkin & truffle risotto
• Venison with pearl barley, onion and Parmesan
• Cheese and truffle dumplings served in a chicken broth
• Fried small Sicilian red prawns with whitebait zucchini

Feedback has been positive with fabulous comments.  Read some of the reviews here:

Viva Manchester

Taste of Manchester

We look forward to welcoming you to the all new Cicchetti Manchester soon!

Take a sip from the witch’s cauldron this Halloween with the ‘Death of a Samurai’; a deliciously original cocktail from the expert mixologists at San Carlo Fumo.

With Midori liqueur as a base, alongside a mix of tequila and fresh lime juice, the drink is given a final spooky flourish of red ‘blood’ around the glass – perfect for a party this All Hallows’ Eve.  So why not come down and try it?

Ingredients:

• Midori
• Excellia Reposado Tequila
• Pistachio sugar
• Fresh lime juice

Method:

Mix all ingredients, shake with ice and strain into a coupette glass.

Garnish:

To make the ‘blood’, combine 3:1 parts caster sugar to water, 100ml vanilla essence, 100ml red food colouring and 4 x drops of Tabasco sauce and bring to the boil.

Leave to simmer on a low heat for 5-10mins before allowing to cool naturally and then placing in the freezer to firm up before using it to rim the glass!

November’s ‘Spirit Session’ at San Carlo Fumo Manchester is all about rum.

Following last month’s Gin Tasting, Dave Marsland, ‘Drinks Enthusiast’, will be back at our One St Peter’s Square bar and restaurant to host the cocktail event alongside Bar Manager Sean McGuirk on Wednesday 4th November.

El dorado 3yr, Bacardi Oakheart, Blackwells Jamaican Rum and Chairmans Reserve Spiced are all on the menu, plus an exclusive rum cocktail made using Diplomatico Anejo.
For more information or to book please contact the bar team at Fumo on 0161 236 7344.

Other Spirit Sessions include our World Whiskies evening confirmed for Wednesday 18th November and the ‘Luxury Event’ which offers an extra special Fumo experience is held on Wednesday 9th December.
Fumo cicchetti dishes are not included in the ticket price. Places are limited. Cost per event varies so please check at time of booking.

A reminder of our Fumo Sound live music DJ sessions and sax performances for 2015:
Manchester – 24.10 07.11 21.11; 05.12; 12.12; 19.12; 31.12
Birmingham – 07.11; 05.12; 31.12

We’re now serving Galvanina soft drinks at our San Carlo restaurants across the UK.

Presented in delicately embossed, beautifully crafted bottles, the 100% natural fruit drinks not only look stylish but taste delicious too – and Galvanina is, like us, an award-winning family-run Italian so our brands are perfect together!

Made from the finest organic fruit juices and naturally filtered, gently sparkling spring water, these fresh blends bring you a real taste of Italy, wherever you are in the world.

Visit San Carlo Group soon and enjoy the perfect Italian refreshment with a perfect Italian meal. We recommend the sharp yet sweet Sicilian Lemon Galvanina.

Our white truffles have arrived from Alba, Italy and Group Executive Chef Filippo Pagani and his experienced team have been creating the most delicious and indulgent recipes.

Filippo explains: “The truffle has a unique and intense aroma so the secret to enjoying it is to avoid using with other strong flavours. Truffle is best served as an antipasti or over pasta as shards with butter and parmigiano reggiano cheese.”

Tagliolini with butter and Alba white Truffle is now available at our Cicchetti restaurants in Covent Garden and Piccadilly London.

Look out for the new truffle dishes on our seasonal specials menus nationwide.

We’ve launched our new Autumn/Winter seasonal menus at San Carlo Cicchetti, Fumo and Bottega in Selfridges this month.

Featuring tasty, comforting, hearty dishes perfect for the colder months ahead, creations already proving popular in Manchester include Black Etna Risotto with Calabrian n’duja sausage and lentils and Veal Milanese, named after the city of Milano, pan-fried in breadcrumbs.

The Cicchetti restaurants in London are enjoying the Venison with pearl barley, onion and Parmesan and Fumo Birmingham diners are loving our Pappardelle Cipriani with wild boar ragu.

Don’t worry if you had a favourite dish on our Spring/Summer menu – the classics are still present including our famous Pigeon Breast Pate with black truffle and toasted altamura bread.

We look forward to welcoming you soon!

As we wave goodbye to Summer we’re certainly not dreading the darker nights and cooler weather because with a new season comes a whole host of incredible fresh ingredients … and amazing new dishes.

As we welcome Autumn we look forward to wholesome and hearty specials created using the finest produce from Italy.  This month our chefs are getting excited about Venison, Guinea Fowl, Porcini Mushrooms, Artichokes, Figs and, ‘the diamond of the kitchen’, White Truffles.

We’ve already tasted the new seasonal dishes at Cicchetti Covent Garden courtesy Group Executive Chef Filippo Pagani, and outstanding is an understatement.  Well done chefs!

We’re delighted to announce Fumo Sound dates for the remainder of 2015.

Live music with DJ sessions  from Myles Langley and Ben Martin and sax performances by Dax on Sax, Tom da Lips and Richie Sax are confirmed for:

Manchester – 12.09; 26.09; 10.10; 24.10 07.11 21.11; 05.12; 12.12; 19.12; 31.12

Birmingham – 03.10; 07.11; 05.12; 31.12

In October we launch our regular ‘Spirit Sessions’ at Fumo Manchester starting with a gin tasting from 7.30pm on Wednesday 7th October.

The event, a collaboration between Fumo Bar Manager Sean McGuirk and Dave Marsland, ‘Drinks Enthusiast’, will include expert tips and advice, four straight gins – Langleys No8, Jensen Old Tom, The Botanist and Sipsmith Sloe Gin – and a Haymans London Dry cocktail.

Tickets for the 90 minute session are £25 per person and the full Fumo dining menu is available to enjoy during the event*.  For more information or to book please contact the bar team at Fumo, One St Peter’s Square on 0161 236 7344.

Tastings are also scheduled for November and December with Rum on Wednesday 4th November and World Whiskies on Wednesday 18th November.

A ‘Luxury Event’ which offers an extra special Fumo experience is being held on Wednesday 9th December.  This session includes an opportunity to sample some of the world’s most exclusive spirits such as Jack Daniels Sinatra Select; Octomore by Bruichladdich; Remy Martin XO; Rhum St Barth Authentique and a cocktail created using One Key GinTasting.

*Fumo cicchetti dishes are not included in the ticket price. Places are limited. Cost per event varies so please check at time of booking.