At the Manchester Oxford Street branch of Pizza Express, not only has the décor been revamped but so has the menu.
When you first enter you are greeted to a very warm and welcoming reception and the restaurant is open plan with a feel of a Manhattan Diner.
Then there’s the décor, which is clean and has a refreshing appeal to all that enter.
Over the Christmas period, Pizza Express have introduced the diner, to a quirky twist on the traditional Christmas Day menu, and this year is no exception.
Bored of your turkey dinner and vegetables? Why not try the Porchetta Natale, a pulled seasoned hog roast pizza, with soft herb stuffing and scattering of pine kernels.
Or what about Cauliflower e Carne, a pizza with a bed of roasted cauliflower florets, smothered in Pecorino cheese sauce with crisp pancetta.
It’s creamy, warm and indulgent: cooked to perfection, with a mass array of flavours in one mouthful.
Manager Donna Foster said: “Last year’s Pizza topping was sprout and pancetta, this year is cauliflower and hog roast.”
Like the festive season, full of surprise and delight, the desserts do something similar whether it’s the snowball dough balls, with a sprinkling of sweet cinnamon icing sugar and with a vanilla dip and a chocolate straw, or the jaffa profiteroles, with a tangy citrus taste.
Not on the Christmas Menu, but on the new revamped menu, is the honeycomb cream slice, sweet honeycomb and chocolate on a biscuit bed of salted caramel. Totally divine. And it can be gift wrapped to go.
“I love working here, I love Pizza,” said 20-year-old waiter George Capper.
Too right. Happy PizzaExpressmas to one and all.
