If you are looking for a detailed food and service review of one of Manchester’s top Italian restaurants, you’ve came to the right place. Today we have a review from a Manchester Vegan Vs a Meat Eater. The aim of this review it to make eating out a better experience for all, regardless of your dietary requirements.
Before we get started we wanted to note that it’s quite clear that since the lockdown was lifted, the experience of eating out just isn’t the same anymore. Maybe it is due to the hospitality industry being forced to close for such a long time or maybe it is because we still haven’t adjusted fully to post lockdown life. Either way, it is apparent that the hospitality industry has been affected.
This review is on Cibo in Manchester, an independent Italian restaurant located in the heart of the city in Deansgate. To get two different takes on the restaurant it was visited by two of our foodies, one being a meat lover and the other a vegan.
First Impressions
We decided to head down mid week to ensure that we got a table but still booked just in case. In order to reserve a table, there was a £20 booking fee requirement. When we arrived, although the restaurant wasn’t busy, we were told to wait in the bar area before being seated. After waiting for around 5 minutes we were led to our table. Whilst waiting to be seated we were able to take in the atmosphere of the restaurant which was warm and welcoming, so far so good.
Service
Understandably, after the hospitality industry was forced to close for such a long time, employees have had to adjust to heading back to work and serving customers. On top of that, statistics have shown that the hospitality industry is now experiencing high levels of understaffing. This is said to be due to many employees finding alternative jobs throughout lockdown. We were sure to consider this fact in the restaurant review as it seems clear that since restaurants and bars opened back up, service is not quite the same anymore in many places.
For this reason it is expected that service is slightly slower post lockdown. However, I think it’s important to remember that despite slower service, service should at a minimum be welcoming and friendly. After waiting 20 minutes to make a drinks order and even longer for our food order, we were feeling a bit disappointed. We could sense a lack of organisation from the staff. This did put a downer on the experience because the restaurant wasn’t too busy at all.
Manchester Vegan Vs Meat eater Food Review
We ordered vegan bruschetta and thinly sliced fillet steak to start. Both were really tasty and arrived to the table soon after we ordered. As you can see from the photo attached, the presentation looked amazing and the food tasted great.
For our main we ordered 2 vegan options to share and I also ordered a salmon pasta dish. 2 out of the 3 dishes were delightful. The salmon dish was creamy and the vegan arrabiata burst with flavour. Unfortunately the vegan gnocchi dish was a disappointment with little flavour and full of oil. There were 3 or 4 vegan mains available which is more than a lot of other restaurants provide. All too often, restaurants only serve a vegan burger- for those who are plant based, this can become tedious as there are so many tastier or unique vegan options that could be made available at restaurants. Finding a Manchester Vegan restaurant can be difficult, finding a restaurant that serves a good range of vegan options even harder. It was great that Cibo had a better range of plant based alternatives.
For dessert I was excited to see that Crème Brule was on the menu. Unfortunately when I went to order, I was informed they had none left. This was quite disappointing as it was only around 7.30pm and the restaurant wasn’t busy. There were some tasty sorbet options on the menu but we opted for a cocktail instead. Both were tasty, strong and made with fresh ingredients. This did make up for not being able to have the Crème Brule.
Overview
Upon reflection we agree that our experience at Cibo was disappointing, however we can see that was mainly due to understaffing. Therefore we would love to return in the future and try to experience it when hopefully the hospitality as a whole has got back on its feet.
The price of the mains varied between £12 and £30 depending on the dish. The vegan and vegetarian options were considerably cheaper and the drinks were priced at an expected rate for Manchester city centre. In conclusion, the atmosphere was great, the restaurant looked lovely and of course the food tasted delicious. Cibo is perfect for those looking for as great value restaurant. It is ideal for those in need of romantic date ideas Manchester.
Stay tuned to see more of our food reviews from the meat lover VS the vegan. We aim to explore and investigate restaurants across the city. We want to find out where you can access great food Manchester vegan options and tasty food for all. For now, check out Pubs in Manchester or Best bars in Manchester for some yummy drinks and food.
