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Manicomio

Address:6 Gutter Lane, London EC2V 8AS
Tel:020 7726 5010
Email:
Website:Visit Manicomio website
Price: £51.00Wine: £17.50Champagne: £49.50
Opening Hours:Mon-Fri 7am-10pm

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In a part of the capital where restaurants are more often buried underground, the look-at-me assertiveness of Manicomio’s Norman Foster-designed glass box is a joy to behold. Sister to the Chelsea original, this City incarnation is a more sober affair – but highly versatile with it, incorporating an informal street-level café & takeaway, a smart first-floor dining room & the clubbier confines of the Roundhouse bar on the top floor. The kitchen sources many of its raw ingredients from Italy, & the food is commendably gutsy. Start with a vibrant Sicilian fish soup, or perhaps expertly grilled cuttlefish, before sampling rabbit ravioli in a wonderfully lemony, buttery spring onion sauce. Don’t miss the light, oozing focaccia with good olive oil for dipping along the way. Desserts maintain the high standard, while the wine list makes room for some unusual bottles.

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Reader reviews of Manicomio:

Alice R.
Silver Reviewer

Alice R. ( 30s, Female, London )

I used Manicomio this year for our AGM and we were so pleased with our choice, we booked for 40 and everything went to plan, amazing service, amazing food and drink and what a great building. Our guests were from the US and EU and each one thanked us for a great meal.
Jason the manager looked after us from start to finish and every wish was catered for, I would recommend this for hiring our part or the whole building or just a dinner for two, the name Gutter Lane also gave us a giggle, but it is far from in the name it is based in! Go try it, you will be so pleased you did.
We had a bean and meat salad to start, black faced lamb for mains, and icecream and berries for dessert plus lots of wine which really complemented the meal.

10 June 2010
Overall:10
Food and Drink:10
Service:10
Atmosphere:10
Value for Money:10
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Richard M.
Reviews: 1

Richard M. ( 40s, Male, United Kingdom )

As a restaurant booker for a number of partners and fee earners, Manicomio is consistently rated as the place to take clients because of the quality of service and food. It is reliably good which means you can trust this restaurant to make a good impression when you need it to.

17 February 2010
Overall:9
Food and Drink:8
Service:8
Atmosphere:9
Value for Money:8
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MD
Gold Reviewer

MD ( 20s, Female, London )

As you approach the very square and sleek jet black building at the end of Gutter lane, you can't help but think what lies inside has got to be something special. After all, you have three attempts to enjoy the contents of the building with a ground floor brasserie, first floor main restuarant and top floor cocktail bar.

The occasion was a business lunch with a group of eight so impressions were important, including mine. Service started and ended with genuine smiles of chesire cat proportions from our waiter and his colleague who also pitched in and it's good to see good old upselling (especially the special of the day) being a golden rule here.

Food was remarkably well cooked and presented with a mix of authentic Italian influence and modern inspiration, which creates a rich synergy between both the architecture and food. The seabream tartare and array of fresh vegetables was a delightful starter and did an excellent job of wetting the appetite without quite over filling it. For the main I opted for the special of the day along with a fellow diner – cod with crushed potatoes and garlic parsley sauce, with some spinach thrown in for good measure. My initial worry was that the fillet though beautifully cooked, was slightly on the small side but after getting through a few tender and succulent morsels I realised it was just the right size (typical case of eyes being bigger than the stomach).

Though almost full to the brim it would have been a huge injustice to ignore the tempting dishes on the dessert menu – there is something… More

17 November 2009
Overall:9
Food and Drink:9
Service:9
Atmosphere:9
Value for Money:9
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Dermot W.

Dermot W. ( 50s, Male, United Kingdom )

Light & airy venue but heavyweight prices e.g. £28 for a monkfish & prawn kebab with some rocket – add some potatoes & vegetables & you're looking at close to £40 for an OK but not exceptional main course. Somewhat restricted menu.

17 November 2009
Overall:5
Food and Drink:6
Service:6
Atmosphere:7
Value for Money:3
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Simon P.

Simon P. ( Male, Lloyds TSB )

Great place for lunch, either downstairs in the bar area or, more formally, upstairs in te bright restaurant. There is also another floor above with a further bar where you can enjoy a few drinks or cocktails midday or evening. Really high quality Italian dishes and delicious cold cuts served in an appetising way. There is always a really lively atmosphere and teh service is generally very good.

April 2009
Overall:8
Food and Drink:8
Service:7
Atmosphere:8
Value for Money:8
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