Sometimes you want to go out for dinner, and sometimes you just really want a bowl of pasta. Pranzo Italian Manchester looks ready for both. The independent restaurant opened at 55 King Street on 16 September, bringing homemade pasta, Calabrian dishes, Italian wine and cocktails to the city centre. It’s the first Manchester restaurant from founder Marco Greco, who started Pranzo in 2018 and has spent years looking for the right spot here.
Marco says a Manchester opening has been on his bucket list since the beginning. Pranzo built its following in Yorkshire and earned two AA Rosettes before taking on this new site. Nearly half a million pounds has gone into turning the King Street premises into a restaurant. For Marco, though, the story starts much closer to home: Pranzo says many of its dishes grew from recipes developed by his nonna more than 70 years ago.
Fresh pasta is the reason to come hungry. The current menu includes mafalde with a four-hour beef shin ragù and parmesan, alongside pizzas, focaccia sandwiches, salads and Italian classics. You can keep lunch fairly simple or settle in for several courses and a bottle of wine. There’s a Sunday roast menu too, including beef and porchetta, if you fancy seeing what Pranzo does with a British weekend tradition. Menus can change, so check the Manchester selection when you book.
Pranzo arrives on a street with a long restaurant history and plenty of competition. It’ll have to win people over one meal at a time, which is part of the appeal of an independent opening like this. If you’re planning a bigger food tour of the city, browse I Love Manchester’s guide to the best restaurants in Greater Manchester. For somewhere to take visitors before a show, our pre-theatre dining guide is useful as well.
To mark its first full week, Pranzo is running an opening promotion from 21 to 27 September 2026: the first 100 diners each day can choose a mystery envelope containing a prize to use during that visit. The press release lists discounts, drinks, pasta and vouchers among the prizes, with walk-ins and booked tables eligible. It’s a timely excuse to give the new place a try.
