Franco Manca: It's all about the base… but the toppings are great too

Brad Barnes dines at Franco Manca, Peterborough city centre

Franco Manca opened in July last year – occupying a very visible spot at the heart of the city centre overlooking Peterborough’s Cathedral Square, with bifold doors opening out for alfresco dining, close to the majority of the city centre eateries.

It is smart, comfortable and spacious enough, with plenty of seating outside too, but has a look that says pizzeria, particularly with the huge pizza oven in the corner.

Celebrating its 15th birthday, incidentally, the growing chain is famous for its sourdough pizzas.

Brad Barnes dines at Franco Manca, Peterborough city centre - the No. 8

The menu isn’t huge – pizzas are numbered 1 to 10 – and there are some pre-pizza sharing boards, small bits and salads, as well as a blackboard filled with daily specials.

Being on their mailing list, there are regular changes to the menu – from sometimes unusual toppings (Christmas springs to mind) to take-home pizzas.

And just now a new Spring and Summer launch with four new pizzas: The No.3 (traditional halloumi, roasted courgettes, mozzarella & marinated baby plum tomatoes with mint); No.8 (slow-cooked beef ragu, organic tomato, mozzarella, cheese sauce, crispy pancetta & fresh basil); No.9 (wild mushrooms, burrata, truffle pesto base, mozzarella & fresh basil); and No.10 (Tuscan pork fennel sausage, wild broccoli, pesto base, mozzarella and Franco & Cantarelli Grana).

It’s not just pizza that’s new. There’s a whole host of new sides and sharing dishes available, including Buffalo Mozzarella and marinated baby plum tomato salad, beef ragu al forno, and Tuscan pork fennel sausage bruschetta.

Brad Barnes dines at Franco Manca, Peterborough city centre - the No. 10

After a friendly greeting, we took a table by the open bifolds on a warm Saturday afternoon and watched the world pass by, while we tucked into our drinks – a decent pint of pale ale and an orange juice – and food.

We shared a vegetarian platter (£8.95)and very nice it was too. The mozarella balls (bocconcini) were soft delightfully little things that brought out the best of the other flavours on offer – the dry San Marzano tomatoes were amazing, I loved the soft piquillo peppers and the Kalamata black olives and can’t resist fresh, crisp peppery rocket. I wasn’t a fan of the roasted courgettes, but a couple of slices of sourdough bread helped to otherwise clean the plate.

We then ordered an 8 (£11.15) and a 10 (10.95) – you will know if you have been paying attention!

The former – sourdough base obviously, which was slightly “toasted” around the edges – was topped with a flavour-packed beef ragu that tantalised the tastebuds. It was cheesy, that goes without saying, but the lashings of cheese sauce were a moreish treat and those salty strips of pancetta – like little, crisp, wafer-thin pieces of streaky bacon – were wonderful.