Bruco, one of Ancoats' newest restaurants which opened last November, is one of many eateries across Manchester offering 50% off its menu this January.
We nabbed ourselves a post-work booking at 5pm and were delighted to see the industrial high-ceiling restaurant was already bustling with people clearly also keen on trying out Bruco's expertly crafted small plates.
We were sat right in front of the open kitchen, further down from the airy bar-style seating arrangement located at the front of the restaurant, given a front-row seat to the theatrics of the cooking process.
As we were partaking in Dry Jan, we opted for a couple of Crodino's - dubbed a non-alcoholic Aperol Spritz - which came in at £10 for two.
While these were exactly what they said on the tin, it's clear the other diners around us were very much so enjoying the selection of fine wines served in beautifully thin-rimmed glasses.
In terms of appetizers, we went for the pesto flatbread, the truffle and parmesan arancini, the rosemary and garlic roast potatoes, the garlic and parmesan broccolini as well as a dish named 'Sue's Wild Garlic Mushrooms' which saw £1 of the proceeds donated to Breast Cancer Charity.
Between two people, this was more than enough to satiate the starter segment of the meal.
Unlike other restaurants which offer small plates, the portion sizes were considerably generous with prices ranging from a fiver to £8 a pop.
Our favourites were definitely the no-fuss garlic mushrooms, served solo in a ceramic pot, as well as the arancini which offered the perfect balance of creamy richness and crispy freshness - without any overpowering truffle aftertaste.
The pesto flatbread, which was absolutely smothered in parmesan, along with the tender broccolini, was a great tool to mop up the sauces which came with our mains from the 'a little bigger' part of the menu.
We chose the the roast squash, honey and sage gnocchi which, admittedly, didn't look much on the plate but - oh my goodness - that sage sauce was exquisite.
The dumplings were beyond pillowy while the sage-infused sauce was perfectly accompanied by the soft-roasted cubes of squash.
It was simply a no-brainer that we'd also order the braised octopus, served with a rosemary and lemon sauce alongside butter beans and capers.
The charred tips of the tentacle made for an exciting end to the dish, which we didn't take mopping up with the aforementioned pesto flatbread.
One bite of this transported us straight to a small Italian town seaside taverna and, needless to say, we'll definitely be coming back for this dish alone.
After a bit of a digestion break, we decided to conclude the meal with a shared serving of tiramisu which was, according to my friend, the 'second best tiramisu she's ever had' - the first of which being one served in a moka pot in the old town of Marbella, interestingly.
It was dessert done right ticking all the boxes; perfectly coffee-soaked sponge? Tick. Fluffy mascarpone? Tick. A shit ton of cocoa powder? Tick tick tick.
The entire bill for the two of us, with service, came to a very decent £46.20.
And, even without the 50% Jan dining discount, I'd happily go back once again for perhaps a smaller meal, complete with octopus and tiramisu, alongside one of their many Italian vinos.
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