A lot has changed in the UK since 1992, when Carlo Distefano opened a restaurant in Birmingham. One huge difference is how much the company has grown, another is the impact it’s had on Manchester’s food scene. San Carlo now operates several sites across town, all offering something unique. San Carlo Fumo is one of the more recent additions to the business, and occupies one of the most prominent spots in the modern city.
With seating inside or, in warm weather, on the patio, San Carlo Fumo is a great place to sit back and people watch while you indulge in some of the finest Southern Mediterranean inspired grilled food going. “We offer a wide selection of Italian cuisine. Central to our menu are the Robata charcoal flames,” the team explain. “Highly esteemed by chefs worldwide for producing the most tender meat dishes, it’s also perfect for seafood, pasta and pizza, meaning there’s a dish to satisfy everyone.” That may be true, but it’s crucial to understand this isn’t a one-size fits all place. Everything is done to perfection.
Sirloin, rib-eye, tomahawk, filet and chateaubriand are all cooked in this way, as are the sea bass (whole, of course) and prawns. Alternatively, go bigger with huge portions of pasta made for a minimum of two people (risotto porcini e tartufo or spaghetti frutti di mare). Other options include gamberoni piccanti, avocado bernardo, burrata e pomodoro and carpaccio di manzo. Or classic mains like ravioli aragosta and lasagne emiliane, spaghetti carbonara and tagliatelle ragu. Then there’s San Carlo’s famous ravioli truffle. Dolci — dessert — is another big factor at San Carlo Fumo, and runs from tiramisu through to Sicilian pistachio cake, and a whole section for gelato. Finally, along with a sumptuous selection of wines from Italy and islands this place is also known for cocktails, which keep standards impeccably high.