Harden's says
Hand-rolled pasta is a highlight at Chris Leach and David Carter’s modern Soho trattoria.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Packed fuller than a tube train, but the blinding food makes it all worth it!” – Chris Leach and David Carter’s “bustling” two-year-old “in the heart of hipster Shoreditch” has “made huge waves and deservedly so” thanks to its “punchy, honest, original and surprisingly good-value” Italian cooking which includes some notable pasta dishes (e.g. “shout out for the duck fazzoletti – homemade, with a perfectly balanced sauce”); and whose meaty options “make full use of lesser cuts (the pig’s head croquette is a special treat)”. “Always a good night out”… “superb!”
Summary
“A fabulous range of super-tasty Italian small plates with some very memorable flavours (that pig skin ragu!!!!)” and incorporating “terrific homemade pasta” are making a smash hit of Chris Leach and David Carter’s “absolutely rammed” venture, which relocated from Heddon Street to Shoreditch in October 2021. It wins nothing but praise and many nominations as “the top food experience of the last 12 months”. “Enthusiastic” service can suffer under the weight of custom and – with its “deafening noise” – the setting does “slightly reek of (the former) PizzaExpress the site used to be” – but “given that it’s exceptional, you’ll get by… they can polish any rough edges later”.
Summary
Hand-rolled pasta has been a highlight at Chris Leach and Smokestak’s David Carter’s year-old concept – a follow-up to their hit residency at 10 Heddon Street – which, in October 2021, is set to shift from Soho to Shoreditch, re-opening in a former PizzaExpress at the address given above. As well as the trademark pasta (which you can watch being made), expect a range of small and sharing plates – featuring nose-to-tail offal dishes and meat from selected farms – cooked in the open central kitchen and wood-fired oven. The basement, glass-walled hanging room showcases their in-house butchery and the making of their in-house salumi.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Manteca?
49-51 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3PT
Manteca Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Nice buzzy place. Lovely meats cured on the premises. The fried olives and pasta ragu were great. Some lovely Italian dishes that propel it above your ordinary Italian place. "
"Patchy food and service. The small plates to start were excellent. The ‘sharing’ concept of the larger plates is flawed and in spite of a small menu the arrival of the food and sides was erratic. The crab cacio e pepe was almost cold. Disappointing."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £28.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
49-51 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3PT
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:45pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:45pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:45pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:45pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:45pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:45pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:45pm |
Best Italian restaurants nearby
Italian restaurant in Shoreditch
Italian restaurant in Hackney
Italian restaurant in Shoreditch
Best similarly priced restaurants nearby
Japanese restaurant in Shoreditch
Steaks & grills restaurant in Hackney
Burgers, etc restaurant in Hackney
