A constantly busy, award-winning pizza restaurant that has become a bit of a Manchester institution.

The Venue
Located just across the road from Manchester Town Hall, Croma lives up to its name with its decor. Brushed chrome banisters and partitions on three levels add up to a bright and airy restaurant. Simple wooden furniture, again with brushed chrome and some sparse foliage, is set against a white tiled floored. Large motif wall paintings are scattered throughout the restaurant on the clean white walls but all in all there’s an air of calm thanks to the understated layout and design.

The Atmosphere
A hub for business people on work lunches, particularly in the afternoon, there’s no chit chat of who struck what deal and which credit tax has been crunched. Instead it's a laid back environment interpersed with families out for a treat and gaggles of friends on a mid-shopping spree stop-off. In the evening, couples who are after a quiet date fill the tables.

The Food
There’s a great selection of pizzas. With over 14 to choose from at Croma you can see exactly why the restaurant has such a fantastic reputation. Interesting combinations include the Aglefino with smoked haddock, a soft egg and baby leeks, and Anatra which includes Peking duck and hoi sin sauce. There are also oven baked dishes with all the Italian classics and an unusual fish lasagna priced at around £7 that uses the freshest market fish, parsley and broccoli.

However, it's criminal not to try one of the highly regarded pizzas and the Fiorentina certainly won't disappoint. The spinach is perfectly wilted, but it could do with a little more on the base, whilst the fried egg is not as soft as you might imagine as the yolk amalgamates to form a hard yolk. That aside, the best features of the pizzas at Croma are the crust and dough which are perfectly soft and flexible with the cheese melted to perfection so that it falls off your fork with ease. Croma specials include Pizza Bergamo incorporating prosciutto ham, spears of asparagus and taleggio cheese.

The Drink
Similar to the understated feel of the restaurant there are only, at a pinch, around half a dozen reds and whites to select from the wine list at Croma. From Sancerre to Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon there’s no doubt a white to float most boats. On the red front however, there are typical Italian numbers such as Chianti but save your money and tuck into one of the inviting cocktails instead. A respectable choice includes the odd signature drink and this brings an extra edge to Croma's otherwise minimal drinks list.

The Last Word
There is no denying the quality of the pizzas at Croma. Combine the pizzas with the relaxed, informal environment and it's easy to see why this restaurant is so popular.

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