Riva Blu is in the Corn Exchange in central Manchester. Its distinctive plush interiors are a nod to trademark Southern Italy style and glamour. There’s also an open kitchen, cocktail and sizable outdoor terrace. It is one of four Ria Blu locations in England. The others are in Birmingham, Liverpool and Leeds.
The menu is a blend of authentic Italian dishes and restaurant favourites. Starters include, burrata pugliese, bruschetta gamberoni, arancini and calamari. There’s also frittania cacio e pepe: deep fried Neapolitan mac and chese that uses smoked provola and pecorino.
Main course options are pasta, pizza or a range of meat and fish. Ever-popular pasta dishes like spaghetti carbonara, paccheri arrabbiata, linguine alle vongole and lasagne all feature. These are complemented by the likes of paccheri alla lardiata (guanciala, cherry tomatoes, chilli and fresh basil) and ravioli alle melanzane (aubgerine, mozzarella and sun-dried tomation stuffed pasta).
Pizzas use the company’s own ‘biga’ dough crafted by its master baker Davide Argentino. As well as margherita and fiorentina, you’ll also find capricciosa (chestnut mushrooms, Italian roast ham and crispy leccino olives) and a calzone stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella and salami. Three kinds of steak (sirloin, fillet or rib-eye) are also on offer, as is branzino (pan fried sea bass with cannellini beans, chilli and endive) and tonno alla griglia (grilled yellowfin tuna served with tomatoes, capers and leccino olives).
Three classic neapolitan dishes headline the dessert menu: panna cotta al limone, zeppola (soft choux bun with a vanilla cream and amarena cherry) and baba napoletano (rum-soaked sponge cake with rum syrup and Chantilly cream).