Tucked away on Turner Street, Sicilian NQ is easily one of the Northern Quarter’s best hidden gems – and it’s probably the most authentic Sicilian food and drink experience you can have in the North West, perhaps even the UK.
I obviously can’t say the whole of the UK, but I really, really want to because every time I’ve been to Sicilian NQ I’ve had a great time, with fantastic company, great drinks and truly spectacular food.
It’s all lovingly created and put together by a dedicated team both here and abroad, with many ingredients coming all the way from the small island in the Mediterranean. Even their signature pasta sauces are handmade at owner Carmen’s family ‘laboratory’ in the tiny town of Paterno, and then shipped over to Manchester!
Pistachio Setteveli Cake
You can’t get more impressive than that, and that dedication continues in the small kitchen in the Northern Quarter, where they produce and bake an truly impressive selection of Sicilian desserts – including the infamous Setteveli Cake.
‘Setteveli’ literally means “seven veils” – a cake with SEVEN LAYERS of pistachio cream that’s typically eaten on your birthday in Sicily. This thing is decadent – with a combination of layers that include plenty of chocolate and hazelnuts too. It’s a MUST.
Chocolate & Hazelnut Setteveli Cake
Also on the dessert menu at Sicilian NQ is the world-famous ‘La Broiche Sicilana‘ – a hand grenade of sweet brioche filled to breaking point with Nutella and Pistachio cream. Just look at this magnificent bastard:
No menu of desserts in Sicily (or indeed Italy) is complete without probably the most famous of them all – CANNOLO. Sicilian NQ doesn’t disappoint either, with a constantly changing set of options available – filled with a dazzling array of creamy, sweet ricotta cheeses and creams.
You can even opt for the ‘Sicilian Tris’ and get three small ‘cannolicchio’ on the same plate – offering up the chance to try a few of their most exquisite and popular flavours.
I’d even go far to say that these cannolo are the very best in the city, and trust me when I say that – I’ve tried them ALL. Nothing can beat sitting at the bar in Sicilian NQ, with a Campari Soda (or Grappa!) in one hand and a couple of cannolo in the other. Nothing.
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Sicilian NQ have their range of desserts available on their online shop, and have given Finest readers a lovely 25% OFF using the code ‘MCRTHEFINEST’. You can buy all of the stuff needed to make cannolo’s at home too!
