Manteca

A delightful addition to Shoreditch's food scene, Manteca had us leaving with a warm smile on our faces. The open kitchen and bar create a friendly atmosphere. The ambience is fun and charismatic, perfect to enjoy with a long list of beautiful wines (apparently they are famous with their cocktails too but sadly we didn’t get the chance to try).

The dishes were flavorful and inventive. From the starters to the mains and dessert, our taste buds were more than content. The crispy and cheesy kale salad and the springy, oily crusted focaccia were standouts. The pasta dishes are top-tier with deep, rich sauces and well-balanced flavours. From the mains, we ordered the creedy carver duck accompanied with sausage which was perfectly cooked, juicy and delicious. For dessert, we had the hazelnut tiramisu which was different from classic Italian tiramisu but we had no complaints. It was creamy and rich with a perfect balance of sweet and salty.

We recommend sitting at the counter to get entertained by the chefs cooking and to even have a conversation with them. The staff genuinely loves their food and cares about their customers. Even though the place was packed, the staff was attentive and the food comes extremely fast.