‘Fresh, quality flavour’: Lina Stores, reviewed

The first location to bloom outside of London, Lina Stores Manchester opened this year on Thursday 17 April to much hubbub from those familiar with the brand’s London venues who were eager to get their hands on some freshly made pasta and artisanal deli treats to take home. 

Despite the sleek black exterior of 17 Quay Street being a little more discreet than its southern sister sites’ green-tiled façades, Lina Stores Manchester has already built up so much hype that it has a near-constant conveyor belt of customers, keeping the restaurant and deli bustling from the moment it opens right through to the end of the day.  

As well as the already popular restaurant and deli, within two weeks Lina Stores had turned its negative space into a super sexy, slightly sleazy - in a good way - speakeasy called Bar Lina;  just follow the sign for the toilets and you’ll find plush, red, 80s-style seating and expertly shaken cocktails lurking behind a heavy velvet curtain (though I can’t promise this’ll be the case for all Italian restaurants, so tread carefully). 

My partner and I had arrived early for our booking, so we decided to start the evening there. Dave opted for a Clover Club (Positano gin, raspberry and lemon - £11) while I was pleasantly surprised with an Essenza off the virgin cocktail menu (Amaro 0%, lemon balm cordial, lemon and black cherry kombucha - £9). 

The bartenders and servers here are fantastic, very knowledgeable and just the right amount of chatty, and the vibes are pretty spot on, too. Just be aware that your eyes may take a while to adjust to the super low lighting - kind of like when there’s a really dark scene during a film at the cinema and you’ve nipped off to the loo. Throw some more of that neon pink tube lighting into the mix and they’re onto the winner. 

Drinks polished off, we ditched the darkness, swapping it for the bright, fresh, mint green walls, teal banquettes and chequerboard floors that made up the restaurant’s interior. Somewhat stripped back with an industrial feel to it, but still capturing that signature old-school Italian elegance that makes you feel like you’re in safe hands, the restaurant and deli shares the same space with shelves of artisanal produce acting as a divider - jars of passata and boxes of pasticcini add subtle pops of colour throughout. 

Perhaps a few more of these dividers or soft furnishings would provide a beneficial method of sound absorption, as noise seems to travel very easily across the open plan venue. But other than the need to lean in closer to have a conversation, I couldn’t fault the design or layout. It’s very tastefully done. Lina Stores knows a thing or two when it comes to creating an Instagram-friendly space. 

I ordered another mocktail, this time an exceptionally well-blended nogroni (£9), while Dave chose a glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (£9.25) to accompany his dinner. 

Engaging our tastebuds in true Italian style, we ordered a portion of the burrata with olive oil (£10) and some rosemary focaccia for mopping up the remnants with. The burrata was one of the creamiest, most fresh-tasting I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. The focaccia wasn’t bad either with its light, chewy centre, crisp outer edges and flecks of rosemary atop, served as three decent sized chunks that left us fighting over the final slice. 

For our mains, we were both swayed by the freshly made pasta; Dave enticed by the pappardelle con ragu (£14.50) and I the tagliolini al tartufo (£17). 

Dave’s pappardelle arrived in long ribbons under a steaming pile of rich and meaty lamb sausage ragu topped with chilli, seasonal greens and pecorino. I’d have been envious had my tagliolini not arrived looking equally as fantastic with the biggest waft of truffle sweeping through the air with it. Made with an impressive 30-egg yolk tagliolini, butter, parmigiano reggiano and generous shavings of black truffle, it was just what I’d been hoping for - fresh, fragrant and full of flavour.

The pasta dishes are deceptively filling and we were able to muster up just enough room to share a portion of tiramisu (£7) - a hearty corner slice of mascarpone, coffee, savoiardi and Marsala (which I hadn’t noticed at the time of ordering, so let Dave take the lead on demolishing this one - an alcohol-free version would go down a treat, though). 

All in all, I left very satisfied with my visit, thoroughly impressed with the quality of both the food and service, as well as the value for money. I’ve since been back to grab a mortadella sandwich and orange cake from the deli for lunch and can assure you that the quality and consistency doesn’t just stop at the restaurant and Bar Lina, either. 

Lina Stores is a brilliant addition to the city and another great example of successful London independents finding their place within the community here in Manchester. 

Lina Stores Manchester, St Johns Court, 17 Quay St, Manchester M3 3HN

Follow Harley Young on Instagram @HarleyUpNorth

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