Gio Ristorante

Gio may not be special, Manchester has so many decent Italians that you can practically see a couple from Gio’s entrance, but it is a very solid entry in the lengthy list of mid-​market restaurants.
I visited Gio with a large group of friends for lunch one day, eating off the pre-​theatre menu, and frankly I was fairly impressed. The quality was solid and the portions pretty impressive for a set menu. Everything I tasted had a good flavour to it, nothing was bland or generic — though I’ll agree with my friend who found the arrabbiata far too spicy for a full portion. All things considered the meal was very good value for money, though I can’t comment on the a la carte.
Bottom line, there is definitely room for Gio’s in the Manchester restaurant scene. But it isn’t somewhere I’d ignore a cheaper deal at Don Giovanni’s or similar places to go to.

Haven’t been to Gio Italian since they have refurnished it and was very impressed with the new décor. It’s all smart reds and blacks with comfy booths. It’s a good sized restaurant so they easily managed to fit in a large group. The food was very prompt especially considering the group size and the portions were very generous. My calamari was delicious and the seafood pasta was extremely fresh. My only niggle is the service although it is friendly and efficient it is also a bit on the sleazy side with one waiter offering us free massages with our desserts. Yuck. I know it was only a joke and to be honest it didn’t bother me but when it’s relentless it can spoil some people’s evening.

Walking around the streets of Manchester, we found Gio Ristorante. A bottle of Chianti, pizza and pasta and we fell in love

I have walked past this place a zillion times probably but never realized it is a restaurant till yesterday (Well I was extremely hungry and I guess hunger makes you notice food joints better).
Like I mentioned before, I was starving and wanted a filling meal so decided to give Gio a try. The place looks like a nice homely café from inside with pretty lamps and green walls (nothing impressive but nice enough). I ordered for a spinach and cheese ravioli in mushroom sauce with chicken and my friend ordered for Calzone (which is a folded pizza with chicken and spices). I thought my order was fairly simple and considering the restaurant was not busy at all it should come pretty soon (10 minutes). Well the age old tragedy happens, we waited for at least 30 minutes before the food appeared and by then I was like a hungry tiger who can’t wait to pounce on the food!
The food definitely was delicious but the quantity was like a kids meal (why? you missed out on that one extra star because of this). It is not a cheap place for your wallet, because you pay a minimum of 10. 50 for a main, which doesn’t even fill you up properly. The staff were very friendly and nice which makes me forget about the delay in the food.
Verdict: Good food, small portions, moderate price — Would definitely come back again but it still has not made it to my favorite list yet!

Went there for lunch with a friend and I was impressed, good hearty Itallian. I had the Minestrone followed by tagliatelle with carbonara sauce. Both were very good, the Minestrone particularly, but I’m a lover of soup. The Location also looks authentic, and the staff is very helpful. Bonus points for the Italian (non-​Pellegrino) sparkling water.

Walked in about 8.30 Saturday night without reservation, seated straight away. Great tasting pizza and calzone. Friendly staff. £40 1 starter, 2 main + bottle wine.