New Italian restaurant, Cibo has taken over what used to be La Tasca, in heart of East Didsbury. Inside the walls are exposed brick, with dark wooden tables; its a really cosy, rustic feeling space, a bit like a true Italian hideaway. The kind of place for romancing or dining with a group of friends. There are a range of menus to choose from too, but seeing as cicchetti, or small Italian plates, are so fashionable right now (think Sohos Polpo and San Carlo Cicchetti in Manchester) Taste got involved with this side of things first.
After cocktails, of course. Cassanovas Weakness brought together vanilla vodka, crème de cacao, strawberry and apple juice plus a sprinkle of magic dust in the shape of cola popping candy, while Zucchero Lampone (candy floss cocktail) included vanilla vodka, raspberries and lime with a portion of candy floss on the side in a separate glass. You get the vibe: these are fun rather than overly serious choices and theres a solid range of virgin cocktails too infused with grown up herbs and flavours like lemongrass and the like.
Aubergine balls and a range of authentic Italian meats were an ideal starting point. Scarmoza wrapped in speck for example, and stuffed artichoke with lardo. Working our way through the various menus, we moved onto main courses. A serving of beef meatballs showcased canny balance of flavour and texture, while lobster ravioli in a cream sauce was brought to life by lemon and lime flavours. The medium rib eye, grilled prawns as well as some real Italian favourites like scamorza and pancetta pizzette (beautifully cured pancetta, generous sized base crafted from soft dough) were all well pulled off, paired with sumptuous sides in the shape of rosemary roast potatoes and courgette fritters.
Sensibly the Cibo chefs have, for the most part, stuck with the classics meaning that tiramasu comes as a large, creamy serving, while a passion fruit panna cotta brings this fashionable flavour to the table in suitably tastebud friendly form. The chocolate hazelnut cake was surprisingly light too.
As we visited during the first few weeks of opening, this sampling session was very much a preview rather than review so look out for a comprehensive review to follow soon. But given the quality of ingredients and attention to detail on display, we predict big things for this new, South Manchester arrival.
CIBO, 10-12 Warburton Street, East Didsbury, M20 6WA. Tel: 0161 448 2222