Manteca, the nose-to-tail Italian concept that built an outsized reputation through residencies, pop-ups and a critically beloved Shoreditch run, has confirmed it will open a permanent 70-cover site on Kingsland Road in Dalston this spring — ending what co-founder Chris Leach has described as "the world's longest soft launch."
The restaurant, which will open in late April, takes over a double-fronted unit that previously housed a Vietnamese canteen. It will be Manteca's first standalone, permanent home, and represents a significant step up in scale from the 40-cover Shoreditch residency that drew queues and near-universal praise when it launched in 2021.
The concept, unchanged
Leach and co-founder David Carter have been deliberately resistant to the kind of concept drift that often accompanies growth. Manteca remains, at its core, a restaurant built around whole-animal butchery, hand-rolled pasta, and a wine list that favours producers operating at the margins of the Italian appellation system.
"We have not changed anything about what we are," Leach told The Mise. "We've just found a room that's big enough to do it properly. The pigs are still coming from the same farm in Suffolk. The pasta is still being rolled the same morning. We're not chasing anything."
The Kingsland Road site will feature an expanded salumi and charcuterie programme — something that was limited by space in previous locations — with a curing room visible behind the bar. Manteca will cure its own nduja, lonza and coppa on site, available to eat in or to take away by weight.
A wine bar in the front room
A new feature at the Dalston site is a separated front-of-house wine bar operating on a walk-in basis, serving natural wines by the glass alongside bar snacks — a mortadella and pistachio roll, a plate of lardo on grilled bread — from midday. The main restaurant behind will continue to be bookings only.
Carter, who oversees the front of house and wine programme, says the separation was driven by a desire to be accessible without compromising the main dining room experience. "We always felt bad turning people away. This way, you can walk in at 6pm and drink something interesting and eat something good, and if you want the full experience you book in advance. Both things can exist."
Openings and pricing
Manteca Dalston will open Tuesday to Sunday, with the wine bar running from 12pm and dinner service from 6pm. The à la carte menu is priced at around £45 to £60 per head before drinks, with pasta dishes running from £14 to £22.
Reservations open via the restaurant's website in the first week of April.