I nice relaxed Sunday afternoon in Manchester having a spot of lunch. The sun was half shinning through the Manchester clouds.
The decor was fresh and very city centre trendy with some painting on the wall and soft lighting.
STARTER - Garlic Focaccia
It was a good starter but I was left feeling a bit disappointed as I felt the bread was tougher than I expected, but it had a crunch and also the bread was very thick, I think that's how it's meant to be but not how I like it. I would have preferred a bit more garlic and less of the butter.
MAIN - Aubergine & Ricotta Penne
This was a great main meal, it was filling but not too heavy, I think that the pasta could have been a little bit softer. I added the peas from another dish to give it a bit more flavour and colur.
The sauce was rich in flavour and the tomatoesness was strong. The aubergine was just the perfect texture and flavour.
DESSERT - Meringa al frutto della passione (I combination of passion fruit, mascarpone cream, raspberries and raspberry coulis.)
You can taste the sweetness in this dessert. The texture of the fruit and then the mascarpone was delightful. It felt soft as I slowly swirled it in my mouth and let the flavours run free. It was incredibility sweet, maybe a bit too sweet.
REVIEW OF CARLICCIO'S ITALIAN
I great place for a casual lunch or a quick snack. It was comfortable and welcoming with a good selection on the menu.
Service gets a 9 from me - the waiter was excellent, very attentive and personable and kept an eye on the table but didn't look like he was stalking us.
Food gets a 5 from me, - it was an average meal, nothing particularly good of bad.
Atmosphere get a 8 from me - there lighting was warm and welcoming and there was plenty of space between seats.
Overall 7.3/10 - A nice place to spend some time talking over lunch