The Pasta Factory

Was super excited to try the Pasta Factory, but was sadly let down by the overall experience. The initial atmosphere is lovely, and I love the fact you can purchase fresh pasta and sauces. However, we felt that the food was slightly overpriced and lacked depth of flavour. The seasonal special of the grilled octopus was fantastic and the food looked great, but sadly everything else was a let down. The servers were super kind, but we did feel that overall service was slow. I am glad I tried it, but I won’t be rushing back.

I've passed this place far too many times over the years and I really shouldn't have. It's a lovely little cosy setting inside, Niav was super attentive and got me a table straight away and brought water in a jug as a default. Plenty to choose from on the menu, all sounds so tasty. I briefly considered the cacio & pepe as that's a favourite of mine, however I was struck by the fact the carbonara looked very traditional. Without cream. I ordered that and a focaccia and eagerly awaited. During my wait I tried a super smooth merlot and when the focaccia arrived I was surprised to see it was in portions of sticks, with a tray of three separate condiments to spread. It came with black truffle, garlic and "caponata" which seemed tomato based. All of these, along with the soft, slightly oily focaccia were incredible. I was so surprised. The truffle had an intense smell and went perfectly with the garlic, the tomato freshened it up a little and honestly was just a wonderful experience. Finishing this I then also got a second glass of red, the Bardolino. This was a soft, rich, juicy wine. Really enjoyable and still managed to cleanse the palate yet still allowed the previous tastes to linger. My carbonara arriving I was met with such a golden, rich looking plate with guanciale and parmesan resting lovingly on top of the pasta. Taking my first bite I was blown away. The guanciale, crispy, smoky. The sauce of the egg and parmesan, rich, creamy. Truly, truly delicious. I can not state this enough. This is one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had in my life. Thank you, Pasta Factory for this experience, thank you Niav for being attentive and pleasant throughout, I will 100% be coming back as soon as I can. Everyone should try here and not overlook it as I have for so long. I went to an Italian restaurant recently on Oxford Street, and honestly, it was lacklustre. For a way higher cost. This. This is where you should be for real, hearty, true Italian pasta. Well done. 10/10 - Lee

Great food & customer service. Would highly recommend! Been here a couple times now & have to say it’s the best cabonara I’ve had. Props to the waiter and waitress on Valentine’s evening.

The ravioli was a bit cold when served and the ravioli is a bit too thick while the mushroom sauce is really good. The gnocchi texture is a bit too soft and lacks a bite and the truffle creamy sauce lacks the truffle flavor. Tiramisu lacks a bit of alcohol flavor. Loved their coffee.

Nice food and super tasty! Lavra Niav is so nice and kind to introduce every type of pasta/taste, perfect service with lovely smile all the time :p

Fantastic is the word of the day. Laura and Tom are Fantastic. Fantastic food, wine, atmosphere and interior. Did I mention food? You almost don't want to review so other people don't take your seat! But I have to be fair! I can't wait to go back and try the next item on the menu.

Pasta was fresh and delicious! Thanks to Niav for the amazing service ;) Highly recommend this place.

Amazing friendly staff Naiv an Frenchie were so welcoming an recommended the best selling dishes, which were absolutely amazing! So full of fresh tastes highly recommended for pasta lovers #Thepastafactory

Attentive and friendly staff. Had a removable ramp to allow accessible entrance. Delicious food, fresh bread and Gnocchi dish was perfect. Highly recommend! Wheelchair accessibility There's one small step to enter the building, we popped a wheelie to get in but they have a removable ramp they put down to allow quick and easy access.

A must-do while you're in Manchester! Delicious food, fantastic service, friendly atmosphere, and extremely accommodating and attentive staff. We had a variety of pasta dishes, plus the bread (and trio of dips- delish!), bellinis and a couple glasses of red wine. One member of our party is in a wheelchair, and the staff even brought out a little ramp to make entry and exit to the restaurant easier, and the bathroom has easy access as well. Good people, great food, will absolutely be back in the future.

A great little restaurant near the Northern Quarter. Good, basic Italian cooking skilfully elevated. Food highlights included the Cod Croquette special (get down there before they run out), and the Squid Ink and Tuna Bucatini. Our server, Ben, was welcoming had a great knowledge of the menu, giving us superb recommendations for wine and food alike! Highly recommend. Great spot.

During a week long business trip to Manchester, I ended up eating at The Pasta Factory twice. It's the best pasta I've ever had in my life- the bucatini in particular is something I still dream about. The dessert ravioli and coffee were a perfect way to end the meal. I truly can't recommend The Pasta Factory enough.

A solid four stars from me. I really enjoyed my visit to The Pasta Factory. The staff were lovely, it had a great vibe, there's plenty of choice including great specials, the food tasted great. I opted for an Italian lager as although the wine menu was superb, it was roasting hot in the restaurant (more on that later) so I just wanted a cold beer. I can't remember the name of the beer but I think it was the house one and was very drinkable. They also have a decent selection of Italian ales which I would like to try some time. Eyes bigger than our bellies as ever, we got a mixed starter for two. This was a veritable smorgasbord of deliciousness. Highlights for me were the gorgonzola and the feta - no surprise that the cheese was my favourite element! Sadly we made a terrible decision and left the bruschetta until the end at which point it had gone a bit soggy. As mentioned the staff were great, talking us through each of the dishes on the starter and generally chatting about the food, and they were happy to give us a few minutes to relax between courses. My main course was the squid ink pasta with grilled octopus, tossed with olive oil, basil and sundried tomatoes. As it was so warm I wasn't in the market for any kind of filled pasta or a hot sauce so this seemed like an excellent option, also I love octopus but rarely eat it, so bonus! The pasta itself had a great texture, the octopus was delicious, and the delicate seasoning brought it all together. One thing I will say, and this is more comment than complaint, is that it was a gigantic portion. Somehow not satisfied by the aforementioned onslaught of food, we chose to share a panna cotta, and I got a glass of prosecco. Both as delicious as you'd expect and the perfect end to a lovely meal. It's losing one star because it's just really rather expensive. Not obscenely overpriced, and not 'not worth the money', but not a nice neighbourhood restaurant you could pop out to if there's nothing in the cupboards. Still, nice to have up your sleeve for dates, meal with the parents etc. Also while we were there it was sweltering. At the very end of the meal, after paying the bill, we were told this was to do with the air conditioning being broken or some such. It seemed strange to be told about this just at the end of the night, but oh well, I trust that this will not be a problem on my next visit.

Ti amo The Pasta Factory. I am in love with a restaurant, seriously though, The Pasta Factory is amazing every step of the way. Upon arrival I was greeted by the waiter/front of house (unfortunately didn't get his name) and he was a pleasure throughout the entire evening; knowledgable and helpful with menu choices, friendly and chatted when passing and delivering food and obviously passionate about the business he was working for - which is amazing to see. The set up on the menu is also interesting, there isn't a 'starters' menu for-say but what they have is Taglieri boards prepared fresh dependant on the number of people in your party. They include fresh Italian meats and cheeses and different tasty appetisers - don't worry that I'm not explaining them well, the amazing waiter will do that for you! For mains I went for the special; Burrata Cheese with fresh Pasta in a Tomato and Basil sauce and it was incredible. I've never eaten (or heard of) Burrata cheese before so I didn't quite know what to expect however it could be my new favourite cheese. It comes served looking a little like a poached egg and the idea is you shred it over your pasta - it's bloody amazing. We finished up with some lovely Italian coffee and biscuits - a fine end to a fantastic meal. Trivial maybe but, the name of the place was involved in deep discussion between myself and my friends I ate with; Should it have been a more authentic Italian name? Did it take away some of the gloss? Or did it rid the place of any potential pretentiousness moving forward? We agreed on the last one and that made us love this place every more. For the next few weeks as they find their feet (only been open 2 months) you should be ok just dropping in and getting a table, but mark my words in a few months time, this will be the hottest pasta ticket in town.

Situated a few steps away from Shudehill tram and bus station this pasta restaurant is a hidden gem. I'd heard so many positive comments about the Pasta Factory that I'd been looking forward to my visit and the food for quite some time. The restaurant is a lot smaller than I expected, but the atmosphere is great. It's also decorated well, with a mass of dried pasta, pasta making machines, beer bottles and big blackboard confirming the specials. Yes, the menu is quite small, however there is still something for everyone (including three vegetarian options and also a separate menu for vegans). All the food is prepared on the premises and cooked to high standards, so you'll definitely be served fresh and delicious food. After changing my mind numerous times I finally decided to order the venison ragu (see my photo). I've never seen pasta like it, it was so orgininal. The sauce and meat were exquisite, the flavours were so rich and intense, the slow cooking over many hours clearly makes this dish what it is. The staff were extremely accommodating and ensured that there was always water on the table. They all had a great attitude and it was obvious that they loved their job and that they were passionate about the food. Everyone who loves pasta needs to try this restuarant!!

Fresh pasta brings an unbeatable chewy/bouncy texture that you can never get from dried pasta! The Pasta Factory provide just that beautiful texture and more! I've been meaning to try this and managed to get some pasta-craving friends to come along so I could feast my eyes on as many dishes as possible! We were introduced to their sharing taglieri antipasti which we ordered for 4 at £22. It came beautifully presented and had: feta, moist but not fatty lamb meatballs topped with apricot purée, these gorgeous freshly made pancakes filled with cheese, thick slices of speck (smoked and cured ham), crostini topped with a (2 chilli rating) spicy sausage spread, fresh salami on home made pizza crackers). Everything was really tasty but I would have liked to see some olives and artichokes too! For our mains we sampled the gnocchi with Toma cheesy sauce, a pretty strong cheese flavour that was rich but melt in the mouth; reginette with venison ragu made with Babera red wine, which was gamey and rich that was paired well with the thick pasta noodles; and prawn ravioli in squid ink pasta served with a creamy courgette sauce, where the ravioli tasted of sweet fresh prawns but I would've liked more of that freshly made sauce or more non-dried courgettes as it was a small portion. We were very tempted by their black board of alternative desserts. We got a panna cotta with berry compote which was not overly sweet and very creamy, an Italian coffee pot and biscotti for two which was nice and strong and a limoncello served cold and a perfect digestive to break down the Toma sauce! The Restaurant is located on the edge of the Northern Quarter and it's aesthetics do lack that certain trendiness/hipster vibe, however, if you truly love the food you would be able to look pass that! The staff are very knowledgeable about their food and many of their Italian ingredients (such as the spicy sausage spread Nduja they served in the antipasti) are available to buy to take home. I'd definitely come back again as their pasta is so good and they change their menus with what's available seasonally!

We went to the pasta factory for our regular (ish) date night venture. We booked ahead which at first didn't look too necessary (it was a Thursday) but I'm glad we did as another day we may have had more trouble getting a table. To start we shared a platter for 2 which I have to say was very good. This includes various cheeses, melon with ham, bruschetta, tuna in a tomato sauce and a few other things I can't remember. It was all very good, if not a bit large for a starter perhaps (this coming from me is kind of says something) For mains I had the ricotta ravioli and Emily had the squid ink spaghetti with octopus. Both were very good although the difference in portion size was quite stark, there was a pretty small amount of ravioli compared to spaghetti. Preparation time is likely to blame I suspect and I'm not complaining too much as I ate about 1/3 of Emilys anyway and it was all very nice. To drink we both had craft Italian ales which were pretty tasty and to top it off at the end we shared a panna cotta and Emily ordered a glass of prosecco (of course she did...). The dessert was nice but I'm glad we shared as we were full and it was quite rich. The restaurant itself is nice, the staff were very friendly and informative and service was at a good pace. Their air conditioning was apparently broken which made the experience a little toasty but they did apologise for this (albeit right at the end as we were paying) so I feel I can't really blame them. I feel the price, although not loads, was probably a little high. That and the portion disparity were the only things I can pick on, it was an altogether good dining experience and I would go again, but I won't be rushing back.

Delicious food and very attentive, knowledgeable staff. The waitress was super lovely and made some fabulous recommendations. I'd not had vegan parmesan before (see attached photo for exact ingredients), although it tasted nothing like the 'real deal' it was pretty tasty and I'd have it again, especially given the health benefits. We ordered some bread and olives to start, I went for the buffalo ricotta filled green ravioli with tomato sauce and basil for my main, it was simple but the flavours complimented one another beautifully. I was a little surprised at the portion sizes, I expected to get more than I did and although I didn't need to eat again that day (we had dinner around 8pm) my friend ended up getting a small pizza afterwards! I'd go back again. I like that they have a little shop counter at the front so you can buy fresh pasta and sauces to take home and use in your own recipes.

Love love love this place. I won't say a whole lot, but this was the best meal I had in Manchester and London. And I loved Luca, he made the meal even more special!

Amazing food and very welcoming people. My girlfriend is vegan and we could both enjoy the food without being limited. We will be happy to be back again and try out everything of menu : ))

I would usually not choose pasta if i was going to any restaurant but was curious to give this new place a go! their menu is limited (which is usually a good sign) and includes, big surprise given their name, only fresh pasta! so have a look online before you go to make sure you like something! for starter we shared a plate that included salami, tomato cheesecake, olive,cheese, bread, tomato and tuna and a little pastrie. everything was delicious and fresh! I got the rabbit ravioli as a main which were nice and delicate but could have done with some sauce! for dessert we were adventurous and had the chocolate and almond ravioli... not really convinced to be honest! we also tried a tart made with an italian liquor that was much better! I also had a Turin IPA that was full of flavour! the restaurant is quite small and feels like what you could find in Italy (never been there by the way)! all the staff are nice and welcoming! I will definitely go back and try oyher dishes! It's a nice alternatives to what you can find in the nearby NQ! Worth to note that all their products are coming from local Turin producers where the owner is from except meat that they get from from the not too far away and highly recommended Butcher Quarter (Tibb Street)!

My highly anticipated visit to The Pasta factory did not dissapoint. From the moment we entered the door the service was excellent: friendly and helpful recommendations aided the decision making when everything on the menu sounded appealing! Absolutely nothing to fault with the food - the most authentic pasta I've eaten outside of Italy. All topped off with a limonchello, a flashback to an evening on the Amalfi Coast. And they sell the pasta they make. It just doesn't get any better - can't wait to go back!

The lunch menu is quite simply pasta and a sauce - there are around 8 to choose from, only one of which contained meat - great for me and my vegetarian tendencies. There is a starter option of soup of the day or antipasto - not the usual antipasto but an opportunity to sample some of their actual dishes. All homemade on the premises with the option to buy pasta, cake, coffee etc to take away. They don't have a coffee machine but serve coffee in Italian coffee pots - strong and fabulous.

My boyfriend and I came in here for dinner this weekend, and were greeted by smiling employees, who were nice enough to seat us at a reserved table as long as we gave it back in an hour and 15 minutes (perfectly doable for us). Both of our waiters were very knowledgable and pointed out the dishes that had nuts in, which my boyfriend is allergic to. I had the goats cheese ravioli with pumpkin sauce, and it was delicious despite it being a bit out of my comfort zone. It was very rich and filling and I couldn't finish all of it. Again, I want to stress how friendly and lovely everyone who works here is! Thanks for a great meal, Pasta Factory!

Wow, one of my favourite vegan restaurants (or I should say restaurants with vegan options) in the UK. It's utter perfection. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and will talk you through the vegan options, and all of the food is freshly prepared by experienced chefs 10 feet away. It's one of the restaurants where you want to take your time and can spend hours sitting, eating and talking. My wife and I are vegan, but we've taking both sets of parents (majority are omnis) and they admitted how much they loved the food we ordered. It's just restaurant perfection, and you need to go try them!

Doesn't look like much when you walk past, but the food is amazing. Great food, fantastic service! From the appetizerrs, homemade pasta and sauces to the cannolis, you will not be disappointed!

I am a fan, although I bought pasta to take home and cook. I suspect I will be back here to have a meal with friends at some point soon, as the pasta I bought was really good I bought a ravioli and gnocchi to share with a friend it worked out at £4 per portion so not to bad really, I cooked my own sauce although this was on offer too. I only popped in although did have a good conversation with the chap behind the counter and enjoyed waiting for my pasta to be packed up ready for me to take home.

I feel that this place has alot of traditional Italian food from northern Italy. The pasta was homemade which was delightful but the food was rather bland for my taste. I had the ham ravioli which the sauce over powered the taste of the ham. All I was able to taste was sauce. The pea soup was oily with no flavor my husband was not happy with it at all. For the price and the food that was experienced I don't think this would be a place I would go again or recommend to anyone.

My son and I, who both live near San Francisco, California (not short of exceptional restaurants, for sure), found ourselves in search of good Italian food. We Yelped and were lucky to find and choose The Pasta Factory in "sleepy" Manchester -- which can certainly hold its own with the best of the best ... everything is home-made, carefully designed for aesthetics and pairing, there is passion in the kitchen, and fellow guests could all be seen eating and nodding their devotion with each bite. Very well priced (a.k.a., inexpensive) with a marvelous wine list to boot. You won't be able to do any better regardless of city. Fantastico! Ben fatto!

'When in shudehill, eat as the Romans do' A restaurant with momentum. Not only must I give compliments to chef but also the waiters and waitresses. The food was superb. I was transported to a world beyond shudehill. Quite simply I forgot I was there. Was I in shudehill or the kitchen in the dolmio advert. Either way take heed of my opening line. Especially after witnessing the Italians themselves expressing delight over the quality of the dishes served.

Our party of four from the US felt that all dishes were top shelf. The wine pairs with our meals and home crafted beers were perfect compliments. The chocolate salami dessert was a impressive finish and topped off the evening. I highly recommend and will return.

Very impressed with my first meal at Manchester. I ran into this restaurant by accident and was very happy with the food quality, welcoming services and the wine recommendation by my server. The squid ink pasta is a must-try.

Just happen upon this place while visiting Manchester. The best service I have received from a restaurant in the U.K. The food was good too. The servers were very nice and made sure we were happy. I recommend this place to anyone who wants a good dining experience and excellent customer service. Very pleased.