Rustica Manchester

“I'm too serious to be a dilettante and too much a dabbler to be a professional.”
-Steiner (Alan Cuny), La Dolce Vita

On the corner of Market Street, next to the glassy and iconic apartment block No1 Deansgate, lies Rustica, an authentic Italian restaurant. I dropped in for lunch with the family recently on a Friday afternoon, when the small-but-cosy venue was reasonably quiet. The music and the staff fit the theme, as you'd expect, the service quick and the food was was great. Mum liked her chicken Caesar salad and Dad assured us his pasta dish was good too. My pizza- Chicken pollo I think- also got the thumbs up.

What made Rustica stand out was the décor: aside from the traditional bare-brick walls and Italian music, the venue was adourned with posters of classic Italian movies like Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita. I ate next to a giant image of the film's pinup, Anita Ekberg.

If you're into European cinema, you'll appreciate the talking points while waiting for your meal. And if you're into Italian food, I doubt you'll have any complaints.

Have you visited Rustica? What did you think?

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