Cocktails are classic at Zitano

CLASSIC cocktails are just a shake away at Zitano in Chorlton. Head to the Mediterranean bolthole on Beech Road (think Beach Road), and you’ll be treated to a taste of holidays right here at home.

Sit back and relax with your choice of flavour of Cosmopolitan, Daiquiri, Margarita and Mojito. The stylish pink Cosmopolitan (£8.50) comes in classic or raspberry; the rum and lime Daiquiri (£8.50) can be made with raspberry, passionfruit or strawberry; you can keep your tangy tequila-based Margarita (£8.50) as is or make it strawberry, and Zitano’s minty Mojitos (£8) can be classic, strawberry or passionfruit.

Your call too for the elegant but only £8 Prosecco-topped Bellini – keep it classic peach, or go for fresh strawberry or passionfruit purée. Also on the menu under ‘Bubbles’, you’ll find a lemon-flavoured French 75 and a classy Kir Royale (one of our favourites, obvs), £8 each, along with your Italian aperitivo Aperol Spritz (£8.50). What’s more, Zitano’s Fizzy Friday deal sees bottles of Prosecco for just £15 all day. Other summer sips include Pimm’s (£8) with mint, cucumber and strawberry – very Wimbledon – and Long Island Iced Tea (£9), served over plenty of ice with Coca-Cola. For an exotic holiday flavour, there’s a spiced version of the flagship of all tiki drinks Mai-Tai (£8), served long, and a Piña Colada (£8) of white rum and Malibu blended with coconut cream, pineapple juice and ice – if that doesn’t say ‘long-haul getaway’, we don’t know what does.

Go day to night with Sunset in Istanbul (£8.50), a colourful combination of bloom gin, elderflower liqueur, peach, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice and blue curacao, or any of four types of Martini – check out our video here for the beautiful Espresso version. Round off your night with an Old Fashioned (£8.50) – barrel-aged bourbon stirred with orange zest, brown sugar and bitters should do the trick. 

 Next day, of course, there’s a Bloody Mary (the cheapest cocktail on the list at £7.95) – or a Bloody Maria, replacing vodka with tequila… or even a Bloodless Mary, the non-alcoholic version. Talking of which, there’s a good selection of mocktails for £4.95 if you’re off the booze, behind the wheel or just fancy a refreshing, thirst-quenching quaff.