Lina Stores, the storied Italian deli that first opened its doors in Soho in 1944, is heading north.
It will be opening its first premises outside London on Quay Street in the recently refurbished Quoin building opposite the Opera House in Spring 2025, boasting a 150-cover dining room, open plan take-out deli and bar.
Dining will kick off at breakfast, with dishes including truffle scrambled eggs and breakfast paninis.
Lunch offerings will range from antipasti like ricotta and herb gnudi fritti with Calabrian chilli marmellata, tuna crudo with capers, pink peppercorn and salsa verde, and fresh salads like fusilli with artichoke, mushroom and semi-secchi tomatoes, and borlotti bean with kale and tropea onion.
Fresh pasta will also be a huge deal for the new spot, headlined by its famous 30-egg yolk tagliolini with black truffle and parmigiano, and pappardelle with lamb sausage ragù, alongside larger main dishes like chicken milanese with Amalfi lemon.
Wines will be organic and biodynamic, while aperitifs and cocktails will be riffs on the classics, including a bloody martini with Sicilian tomato, Rinomato Americano vermouth and vodka, and ‘the Basilico’, with gin, Rinomato Bianco vermouth, basil and lemon.
Meanwhile, from the deli, you’ll be able to take home extra virgin olive oil from Sicily, aged balsamic from Modena, dried pasta and imported biscotti.
Design-wise, it will be decked out in homage to Italian design from the 60s and 70s, with its famous pastel green signature colour up front.
“We’re extremely excited to be opening in Manchester this spring,” said Masha Rener, head chef at Lina Stores.
“The city feels like a natural home for us considering the area’s rich history, vibrant culinary scene and lively nightlife, and look forward to sharing our passion [for] great Italian food and produce with the Manchester community.
“Quay Street is the perfect location for us to do so, sitting right in the trifecta of Spinningfields, St John Street and St Peter’s Square.”
The first Lina Stores opened on the corner of Brewer Street and Green’s Court in the West End in 1944, becoming a staple for Londoners and the Italian community.
In 2018, the deli teamed up with Umbrian-born chef Masha Rener to open its first restaurant around the corner on Greek Street, and it now has bars and restaurants in Kings Cross, Clapham, Marylebone, South Kensington and, in 2021, a new deli and restaurant in the Omotesando neighbourhood in Tokyo.
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