Manteca

London, UK

Manteca loves a pithy hyphenated phrase: its self-styled cuisine is nose-to-tail and Italian-inspired, packed with hand-rolled pastas and wood-fired breads. There’s even an in-house salumeria. Granted, there’s a lot going on but then this charismatic menu requires a generous vocabulary. A collaboration between two successful London chefs – Smokestak’s David Carter and Pitt Cue’s Chris Leach – the sexily lit Shoreditch spot is a temple to all things meat and pasta. Dishes – small, medium and large – utilise duck hearts, pig heads and beef fat, serving ragús with tender blankets of fazzoletti, head-fin-and-tails of whole wood-roasted fish and swirled platefuls of the kitchen’s handmade prosciutto, salami and coppa (all made with native British breeds). Even dessert doesn’t escape the carnivore’s touch: alongside affogatos and cherry and almond cake sits creamy beef fat fudge. It’s a powerful, flavourful menu, accompanied by wine list split by both grape and the drinker’s ambition – guests can opt for classic choices or “down the rabbit hole” offerings.

Key Information

Location

49-51 Curtain Rd, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 3PT