Address: 49-51 Curtain Rd, London, EC2A 3PT, United Kingdom
Phone: +442071395172
Rating: 4.4
based on 617 reviews.
Menu Variety
Pros:
"Great restaurant in London. Rotating menu of pastas and meats."
"The food was overall nice and the price was fair. The fish dish and the selection of col cut were very nice."
"They also have lambrusco on the menu which is a plus given not many restaurants have lambrusco on their wine menu."
"While the pasta dishes re amazing, the appetizers and mains re also on point."
"Delicious Italian fare in a buzzy cool spot! Love the nose to tail ethos and how much of the menu offering is house made."
"They offer a dedicated short menu, a few items that attracted me on the online menu were no longer available the time I went."
"Love the nose to tail ethos and how much of the menu offering is house made."
"If you know the classic “New York chic style”, then this is a bit of The Big Apple in London’s Shoreditch. Neutral colours, clean space, small but super tasteful plates of home made pasta!"
Cons:
"I wanted to try the liver parfait but it wasn’t on the menu :(."
"They offer a dedicated short menu, a few items that attracted me on the online menu were no longer available the time I went."
"We ordered a mixture of pasta and protein, which were all executed nicely. The only criticism I have is the price, as the portion sizes are quite small given the price tag."
"There was a small bullet in the duck meat dish. The staff only explained that it’s written on the menu and acted like it’s my fault for not noticing it."
Service Quality
Pros:
"Value for money and great staff. We got a plate we did not enjoy and the waiter was prompt to notice on his own and take it back without charging us."
"The waiters were really nice and did a great walk through of the menu as well as offering suggestions for dietary restrictions."
"Staff were lovely, keen to go back soon!"
"Exceptional food! The pasta was to die for (we ordered three pasta dishes between the two of us) and also loved the raw beef and sea bass crudo."
"The food and service (Patricia) was amazing. If I could give 20 stars I would."
"We were excited to try some of London’s best Italian food during our holiday. Sadly, Manteca did not live up to its reputation."
"Great food, but very slow service overall."
"The place is nice and the sitting is cool, it’s an open kitchen. This idea was nice but the cook wasn’t communicating with us which felt kind of weird since we were in front of him."
Cons:
"We were waiting for our pasta dish for at least 20 minutes so service can suffer if they're very busy."
"Unfortunately everything else fell short — a dining experience is far more than just about taste."
"The waiting time for food was absurd for some dishes that did not even require any cooking."
"I came across that viral restaurant on tik tok, I came with really high expectations.. I was late due to traffic, I tried to call the restaurant no one picked up so I emailed them."
"The food here is good and I either enjoyed or loved all the dishes I ordered. The service was average a bit underwhelming considering the reputation of the restaurant."
"We made a booking for 8:45pm - they invite you to wait outside and have a drink while they get your table ready. We were offered a drinks menu, but no one came to take our order until 9:05pm."
"Food was honestly really good. Unfortunately everything else fell short — a dining experience is far more than just about taste."
"Our waiter explained the concept of the restaurant to us, but seemed quite irritated that we did not order the number of dishes that he recommended."
Atmosphere and Ambiance
Pros:
"The atmosphere is warm and contemporary. Feels like a cozy place to eat some quality pasta and fish."
"The food is tasty and the service impeccable — they wouldn’t even let us finish our water before they refilled the glass."
"It was a great Italian diner, very chill, bustling and something different."
"We sat at the counter and had the most delightful experience."
"The best pasta in London. We were extremely lucky to get a table: usually they’re fully booked for dinner days/weeks in advance."
"Our Saturday night at Manteca was so beautiful. The restaurant has such a nice atmosphere, and it was bustling."
"Food was amazing and Ross and Claudio were so helpful and patient with us with their recommendations."
"The nduja mussels were a surprising highlight (make sure you get some focaccia to soak up the sauce)."
Cons:
"Dining room was incredibly loud, and almost impossible to hear someone speaking directly across from you."
"While we had the most incredible dining experience the other night here; the atmosphere did not match the standards."
"The food here is good and I either enjoyed or loved all the dishes I ordered. The service was average a bit underwhelming considering the reputation of the restaurant."
"We came late without reservation and were treated to great food, good atmosphere, and love the traditional flavours introduced."
"This place seemed to be caving in under its own success as it was very busy when we ate there and the waiting times and food quality were far below expectations."
"It's an open kitchen so the place has an intense food smell that stays on your clothes."
"The place was loud and there was nearly no space to put your things."
"The portions aren’t big but they’re upfront about it and it honestly gives you more room to taste more dishes."
Food Quality and Taste
Pros:
"The food was enjoyable and the highlights were the mussels, potatoes and pasta!"
"Everything we ate was delicious and though it’s slightly on the pricier side it’s not a rip off."
"The food at Manteca was as good as I hoped and heard. Very much recommend visiting!"
"Food is simply amazing, especially the pavlona dessert."
"The food is tasty and the service impeccable — they wouldn’t even let us finish our water before they refilled the glass."
"Delicious Italian fare in a buzzy cool spot! Love the nose to tail ethos and how much of the menu offering is house made."
"The food here is good and I either enjoyed or loved all the dishes I ordered. The service was average a bit underwhelming considering the reputation of the restaurant."
"We ordered a mixture of pasta and protein, which were all executed nicely. The flavours were clean yet complex."
Cons:
"Unfortunately everything else fell short — a dining experience is far more than just about taste."
"The waiting time for food was absurd for some dishes that did not even require any cooking."
"Sourdough with brown butter was bland, ricotta too."
"The food portions, especially the pastas, were quite small and with the combination of long waiting, created some disappointment."
"The food was hit or miss, some dishes were good, others were average at best or even not coherent at all."
"We ordered a mixture of pasta and protein, which were all executed nicely. The only criticism I have is the price, as the portion sizes are quite small given the price tag."
"The portions aren’t big but they’re upfront about it and it honestly gives you more room to taste more dishes."
"The food is good, but the pressure to get you to order alcohol is absurd! If you are a non-drinker you get treated differently."