Synonymous with glitzy, Italian dining, San Carlo is a family-run establishment which has had a presence in the city for over two decades. And while trendy new Italian concepts have come and gone, it’s stayed a staple of the city’s dining scene, as popular with families and date-night couples as it is with Corrie stars and WAGs.
Their restaurants – glamorous, but welcoming – are dotted across the city and its surrounds, from the buzz of King Street in the city centre, to Cheshire destinations like Hale Barns and Alderley Edge.
Menu-wise, they’re nothing but consistent when it comes to covering off all the favourites you want from a crowd-pleasing Italian experience – from creamy risottos to fillet steaks, via burrata salads and of course, the all-important tiramisù.
That said, the team likes to re-think the menu with some seasonal stand-outs, and as we firmly enter the Autumn/Winter period, there are a few thoughtful additions to the San Carlo offering, which blend winter comfort with some vibrant flavours.
To start, there’s a super simple salad where heritage tomatoes do the talking, with an accompaniment of goats cheese olive and basil – fresh and unfussy. There’s also a Salmone Affumicato (literally, smoked salmon), with capers, red onion and a crispy shard of altamura bread.
The retro prawn cocktail gets a glow-up with the Avocado Bernardo, with avocado slices and a crisp bed of lettuce. The sides menu has also had a cosy, autumnal upgrade, with the addition of velvety smooth mashed potato and truffle mash.
Meanwhile, new mains include a tender beef cheek with spinach dish, which is rich in flavour, and accompanied by a zesty gremolata of parsley, capers and garlic. There’s also a Branzino Cartoccio, a whole seabass baked in a parchment with tomatoes and olives to add a subtle mediterranean smokiness to the dish.
It’s not a San Carlo menu without some new pastas, and this iteration does not disappoint. There’s an almost impossibly creamy Pipette Piccanti, their take of a vodka rigatoni, with a healthy chilli kick. There’s also the extremely rustic Trofie Salsiccia & Fagioli, a farmhousey-dish of short pasta twists with sausage, borlotti beans, tomato and pecorino.
The seasonal nods continue with a pumpkin and pecorino-stuffed pasta with sage, butter, and truffle, while a Ravioli Tartufo – a singular spiral of handmade truffle ravioli – is a visual stand-out.
If you’re planning a go-all-out get together or a cosy dinner over the festive period, San Carlo have thought everything through. It’s just a case of picking which one to go to.
Marcello Distefano, CEO at San Carlo Group said: “Our new winter menu is a testament to our ongoing commitment to exceptional quality and authentic Italian cuisine. After a fantastic summer across all our locations, this seasonal launch sets the tone perfectly for the festive period and the start of the Christmas and party season.”
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