After turning a lockdown side hustle into one of Manchester’s most talked-about food spots, Bada Bing brings its mobster-inspired energy and monster-sized sandwiches to the Northern Quarter.
Bada Bing began as a simple deli hatch in Ancoats, fuelled by furlough, nostalgia and a love for the kind of Italian-American subs that would make Tony Soprano proud. It didn’t take long for the project to achieve cult status – queues formed, fans swooned over the fillings, and the city mourned when the shutters came down. Now, reborn as a proper sandwich shop with slick interiors and attitude to match, it felt like the comeback we were all waiting for.
Inside, the space channels old-school deli cool with a modern Manc twist with framed slogans that nod to its mob-drama muse: The soundtrack’s good, the counter’s stacked, and the sandwiches? Total showstoppers.
The Bing – a crowd favourite – piles up layers of gabagool, pistachio mortadella, spicy salami and provolone with lettuce, tomato, giardiniera and a slather of mayo between thick-cut bread. The Muffaletta delivers smoky ham, turkey and olive salad with a punch of gochujang mayo. The Spicy Italian brings heat in all the right ways, and the festive special, complete with pigs in blankets and gravy dip, proves there’s no such thing as too much. Every sandwich is made to order, stacked and wrapped with the confidence of a crew that knows it’s at the top of its game.
It’s food that’s messy, indulgent and full of character – the kind of lunch that needs both hands, a napkin and a little swagger. Forget dainty bites, these are hoagies that mean business.
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