Restaurant Review: New Opening - Tre Ciccio, Altrincham

Hey,

Today's post brings another exciting new restaurant opening in Altrincham, Tre Ciccio!

Tre Ciccio's concept is simple - authentic, rustic Italian food created with great ingredients and a small menu focused around classic Neapolitan wood-fired pizzas and slow-roasted chicken.

The restaurant has been trading for a few weeks but has very recently unveiled its new outdoor terrace area - just in time for the pre-summer heatwave we've had!

I popped along to the launch night of the terrace area a few weeks ago so was delighted to be invited back for the full dining experience*.

We unknowingly picked a fantastic day to visit; booking for Wednesday last week when the UK's mini heatwave kicked off. I rang ahead to ensure we were sat in the wonderful outdoor terrace area to make the most of the weather.

We kicked things off with a light house pinot grigio while we perused the menu. I loved that the wine was served traditionally in tumblers like most great Italians do!

Tre Ciccio have a great antipasti selection, made up of traditional Italian appetisers. We decided to share so ordered the Pane e Pinzimonio - a bread basket of warm focaccia, Altamura bread and crisp Carasau, accompanied by olive oil and balsamic to dip; the Cuoppo Fritto - a Neapolitan-style selection of lightly fried sea food including calamari, prawns and small whole fish served with lemon and garlic mayonnaise and lastly, Bocconcini Fritti - lightly crumbed and fried buffalo mozzarella bites with fresh basil and Marzano tomato sauce.

Though Tre Ciccio's Italian-style roast chicken was tempting, we're both big pizza fans and having been greeted with the restaurant's huge pizza oven on arrival on the top floor, there's no way we could pass them up!

The pizza menu is made up of 'Classic' and 'Gourmet' pizzas. There's a wide range of options (while still being authentic - absolutely no BBQ sauce bases or pineapple here!) and I truly struggled to choose!

I finally settled on the Salernitana - topped with sliced pancetta, fior di latte cheese, parmesan and basil. My date went for the Calzone Napoletano - traditional folded pizza with salami, prosciutto, fior di latte cheese and basil.

My pizza was so good! Amazingly tasty and fresh toppings with a wonderfully chewy and slightly charred crust characteristic of a perfect wood-fired pizza!

The calzone was awesome too - piping hot inside with the ideal amount of filling and not too doughy.

As the sun set out on the terrace, we decided to share a tiramisu too (which by this point was too dark to capture!) and it topped off a fantastic meal perfectly!

Tre Ciccio is super close to where I live so I'm excited to have somewhere this good to stroll over the bridge to after work for a few beers and great pizza.

I'd definitely recommend this unassuming Italian for perfectly executed, authentically Neapolitan pizzas with a laidback, friendly neighbourhood atmosphere. They definitely give Altrincham Market favourite, Honest Crust some honest competition (geddit)! With the added bonus of having your own table!

Will you be visiting Tre Ciccio the next time you're in Altrincham?

Restaurant Review: New Menu at Bundobust, Manchester

Hey,

A food review today and not a new restaurant opening, rather a menu relaunch from an old favourite of mine, Bundobust!

The independent Indian street food and craft beer concept, first established in Leeds before opening in Manchester in 2016, has a really laidback vibe and great food - a winning combination that still sees this Piccadilly basement restaurant packed out on a regular basis.

I've resolved to try to eat a little less meat this year, something that isn't going fantastically well. When I heard that Bundobust were relaunching their entirely meat-free menu with new additions and improved recipes, I knew it was something I wanted to check out*!

Having already got firm favourites in mind, I headed into town after work one evening to see if any of the new dishes could top the old classics.

One of the great things about Bundobust is that the drinks line-up is as equally in the limelight as the food. Their ever-changing blackboard of regional and wider-known independent beers is certainly impressive and the staff are more than happy to offer up their knowledge and a little taster if (like me) you find it hard to choose!

My date's Bombay Dazzler, created in collaboration with Bundobust by Yorkshire Brewery Northern Monk, was so good that I had to order one on the next round. With flavours of ginger, cardamom and coriander, it paired perfectly with the Indian spices.

Bundobust have also added an array of new cocktails to their drinks list. I opted for a Desi 75 - a refreshing mix of Sipsmith sloe gin, lemon, cinnamon syrup and prosecco.

On to the food!

As well as reworked dishes, there are five brand new additions to the Bundobust menu that we were presented with. They are (clockwise as pictured below):

GOBI MUSHROOM MANCHURIAN - Mushroom & cauliflower pakoras in an Indo-Chinese sauce

PANEER KADAI - Paneer cheese cooked in a deep cinnamon, fenugreek, red pepper & tomato sauce. Served with bhatura

PAV BHAJI - Mashed up cauliflower, potato & peas. Flavoured with garam massala. Served with a spiced toasted brioche bun

RAGHDA PETHIS - a spicy mushy peas & potato cake, topped with turmeric noodles, tomato, onion & tamarind chutney

CHOLE SAAG - Chickpea & spinach massala. Served with puri

There's some great additions here! I love that most of the more substantial items come with a bread on the side. I wasn't so sure about the toasted brioche bun but the bhatura and puri were excellent - light and tasty and perfect for dipping!

For me, the Paneer Kadai was definitely a highlight. Even though it was full of delicious, big chunks of paneer cheese, it wasn't too rich at all. The sauce was deep, smokey and aromatic - just perfect!

My favourite dish however was the the Chole Saag. This chickpea curry was so unbelievably tasty, with a rich massala sauce and folded fried puri on the side for scooping up every last bit (which I did).

Of course we couldn't resist ordering our favourites from the last visit: the Tarka Dhal, a classic medium cumin-infused lentil curry sat atop basmati rice, and the Vada Pav, a spiced fried potato burger. I don't know what it is about the Vada Pav but I found myself thinking about it regularly - thankfully, it was just as good as I remembered!

With an all-vegetarian, mostly vegan and often gluten-free menu, Bundobust surely is a crowd-pleaser - even for an enthusiastic carnivore like myself!

You can check out the full Bundo menu here.

Are you a street food fan?

Review: Oh You Pretty Things! Afternoon Tea at the Trafford Centre

Hey,

I had a fabulous little day out a couple of weeks ago - and at the Trafford Centre no less!

Usually the Trafford Centre on a weekend would be an absolute no go. I like to avoid stress and crowds on the weekends wherever possible, so the idea of pushing past crazy shoppers, hearing the cries of shrieking children and being blinded by artificial lighting isn't really my idea of a great time.

Did I mention that I'm getting married this year? (sarcastic lols) Well I've been dying for an opportune moment to be converted to the ways of Jo Malone, after hearing (and smelling) wonderful things from friends. As getting married seems to be a license for spending too much money on frivolous things (*cough*), I thought it seemed like a good time to splurge on a 'bridal' fragrance and so with one of my bridesmaids in tow, I booked in at the Selfridges Jo Malone counter.

We had the most fabulous Bridal Consultation appointment with the lovely, Kerry who picked out a number of fragrances for us both to try and gave us hand and arm massages, plus a glass of bubbly. I really loved their approach of trying to find a 'fit' by asking about your likes, dislikes and general personality. I was genuinely massively impressed that Kerry hit the nail on the head with the first fragrance she suggested for me! Walking out with a new perfume and smelling, frankly, incredible - we were ready to eat!

I'd been asked to try out Oh You Pretty Things* - a new champagne and cocktail bar on the top floor of The Orient and so it seemed like a good idea to turn our appointment into a fun girly day out.

For those familiar with the Trafford Centre, The Orient is where the Food Court is located - probably the busiest part of the whole centre in the early hours of the afternoon!

Feeling relaxed from our appointment at Jo Malone, stepping into the OYPT bar was in fact, the perfect transition.

The bar distinctly feels like it's very much for 'grown-ups'. There are a lot of family-style restaurants dotted around, even on the upper floor but OYPT feels like a real oasis away from the hustle and bustle.

Sitting down on the modern chrome and cream bar stools, I found myself wondering where else in the Trafford Centre could you go for a nice glass of prosecco or a great cocktail?

We were there to try OYPT's signature Afternoon Tea - a steal I would add at just £19.95 for two, or £24.95 with the addition of prosecco.

We started with a pot of tea, before the main event was brought out.

For the price, we were seriously impressed!

There was definitely an ample amount of food for the two of us. The sandwiches were a good size and well filled (I hate it when you get an afternoon tea with just one or two teeny sandwich each!).

The mini cakes on the top tier were also pleasant and the fresh berries were a nice addition too. I wasn't so sure that the handfuls of Japanese rice crackers really belonged but the whole thing was great to nibble at while chatting.

The scones were great and came with a huge pot of cream and jam each. A scone covered in cream and jam is always the highlight of any Afternoon Tea for me!

We also tried a couple of cocktails from the drinks menu and I can highly recommend the Candy Floss Martini, an infusion of raspberry vodka, butterscotch schnapps and Chambord - topped with a piece of real fluffy, sugary candy floss.

While OYPT's Afternoon Tea isn't the best I've had and is unlikely to stand up to those you might get at a fancy country hotel, for £19.95 for TWO (that's less than a tenner each!) you seriously can't go wrong. I might add that I've often paid more than that for something beige, hurriedly thrown onto a plastic tray in the downstairs eating area...

If you find yourself at the Trafford Centre with a friend or two and fancy a great drink and a bit of tranquillity, I would highly recommend the Oh You Pretty Things bar - the staff were absolutely superb too!