Tucked away just behind the Arndale centre, a tiny restaurant in the Northern Quarter is offering diners an authentic taste of Sicily- including a traditional birthday cake.
Sicilian NQ has been a popular feature amongst the many Mediterranean restaurants in Manchester city centre since 2019, moving to their venue at Turner street in 2020.
In a statement on their website, they claim that they are ‘a friendly neighbourhood bistro serving traditional Sicilian food & drink, cocktails, desserts and gelato’ in the heart of Manchester’s food and drink area.
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They said: “Our famous arancini is a customer favourite, as are our ever-changing Sicilian treats and desserts, authentic Sicilian street food, and lots of vegetarian and vegan options too!”
One of their best sellers is the Setteveli cake: translated as ‘seven veils’, the cake consists of seven layers of fresh pistachio cream as well as hazelnuts and chocolate, and is typically enjoyed as part of traditional Sicilian birthday celebrations.
Other sweet offerings include ‘La Brioche Siciliana’, a sweet bun filled with pistachio cream and Nutella, as well as cannolo with a variety of indulgent fillings.
The main menu features arancini, gnocchi and tagliatelle using sauces originally created at the owner’s home in Sicily by family members.
Food can be washed down with a selection of wines local to the region, as well as a variety of cocktails including Negroni, Margarita and plenty of Limoncello to go around.
The restaurant has been praised for serving ‘authentic delicious food’, with one reviewer even expressing that it offered the ‘fastest ticket to Sicily.’
A satisfied customer commented: “Hidden away in the Northern Quarter, not far from the Arndale. I love it here, they do the nicest sweet treats.
“I bought the Lemon Cannoli, which costs £2 each. Believe me, you only need to eat one. Tastes really nice. If you fancy somewhere different, that's quiet and tucked away — try here.”
Another said: “This place is incredible! The food is amazing, the arancini is some of the best I've ever had. The pasta is beautiful and fresh, and the tomato based sauce was perfect!
“Really enjoyed our meal and the staff were really kind and attentive. I would definitely recommend booking as the restaurant isn't as big as other places in the area. They also do incredible ice cream as well, the pistachio ice cream was stunning!”
A third added: “A pleasure to have this representation of Sicily in the city, a comfortable corner with an authentic taste of Sicilian cuisine and a very attentive and friendly staff.”
Sicilian NQ is open seven days a week, between 12pm-11pm.
The restaurant is located at 14 Turner Street, M4 1DZ. For more information, visit their website here, follow their Instagram here and their Facebook page here.
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