Macclesfield, Italian Restaurant Guide

“Very much a place to see and be seen” in Cheshire’s Golden Triangle – “great for celeb-watching and the waiters are proud of that” – this two-year-old from the national Italian stable is the result of a reputed £3m makeover, complete with palm trees and a terrace with a retractable roof. Investment has continued, with the addition of the 60-cover ‘Il Giardino’ for al-fresco dining last summer. Marcello Distefano, who now runs the group founded by his father Carlo, grew up in the area and knows the site well from its days as Brasingamens nightclub, a celebrated hangout for WAGs in the ’90s and ’00s.

Fka Sugo, then Sud, this fresh pasta operation is back where it started 10 years ago with a single site in Altrincham – the name change to Rigatoni’s and January 2024 relaunch having failed to save branches in Sale, Ancoats and central Manchestet’s Exhibition food hall. “The pasta remains the best you will eat despite the puzzling name change and revamp”, say fans – “it’s a shame some of Sugo’s old favourites couldn’t make the trip, but a promising new start!”.