Impasto Pizza (Manchester)

Looking for absolutely incredible Italian-style pizza, pasta, and desserts? Look no further, because Impasto are the real deal. Based in the busy inner city suburb of Cheetham Hill, their specialities include their Asian Pizza, Alfredo Pasta, and the Ferrero Rocher milkshake (all pictured).

They’re not short of praise on Google Reviews, either, with people commenting on the freshness of the ingredients, the quality of the pizza dough, and the flavour of the toppings. Plenty of comments about the cleanliness and friendliness of the place, too, but them there Manchester folk do tend to be pretty cordial.

Impasto isn’t your typical Friday night pizza place - there’s something a bit special about it.

Check out their menu here.

American Pizza Slice (Liverpool)

Probably the most legit American-style pizza nationwide. The U.K. isn’t really known for pizza by the slice, but founder Paul Canning wanted to bring the East Coast U.S. style to England, and it’s proved to be a huge success.

The flagship location in Liverpool’s Whitechapel area was the first pizza place in the U.K. to sell by the slice, and the franchise has since grown to three locations in the Merseyside area.

With three different styles of pizza; the Chicago deep-pan, the Detroit square, and the classic New York triangular slice (all pictured), customers are guaranteed to get a genuine slice of the States. Our personal Integer recommendation is the N’Duja Detroit pizza, which comes drizzled with chilli honey (lifechanging!) - not to mention the Detroit style is a square, edge-to-edge pizza meaning you’re guaranteed a corner piece every time. Absolute perfection!

Check out their menu here.

L’Alba D’Oro (Edinburgh)

If there’s one thing that’s popular north of the border, it’s deep-fried goodness, and you’re not gonna find it anywhere as good as L’Alba D’Oro. If you’re looking for a healthy snack before you head to the gym, this isn’t it. However, if you’re looking to indulge in some hearty, flavourful, batter-covered goodness, then yer cannae go far wrong with these guys (yes, we just wrote “you cannot” in a Scottish accent…what?!).

If you’re ever in Edinburgh, you really have to check out the deep-fried Haggis from this place - it’s a thing of beauty. Their signature battered sausage is a firm favourite, and the crunchy, bite-sized delights that are their battered mushrooms are perfectly paired with their homemade tartare sauce.

Check out their menu here.

Cluckarito (Manchester)

Let’s face it - Manchester isn’t short of good places to eat, so with competition being fierce, owners and chefs have to bring their ‘A-game’ if they want to succeed.

Located just a few minutes from Man Utd’s Old Trafford stadium, the trendy fried chicken joint has been the subject of a decent number of YouTube reviews, and it’s not just their clucking good chicken that’s famous locally…

Their milkshakes have become a bit of a go-to for weekend revellers looking for a sweet treat, and their Jammy Dodger flavour has proved to be a surefire hit with both locals and visitors to the growing Manchester food scene. If wings are your thing, or if a fillet burger’s more your speed, get the cluck to Manchester now - you won’t regret it.

Check out their menu here.

Manjaros (Middlesbrough)

Ever heard of a Parmo? If you haven’t had one before, you should probably add it to your ‘must-eat’ list. It’s basically a butterflied chicken breast, battered or breadcrumbed, deep-fried, then smothered in bechamel sauce and ooey-gooey melty cheese. Gosh, we’re literally salivating at the very thought of it - staff outing to the North East, anyone?

Any guesses where the Parmo originated? Southern Italy, perhaps? Downtown Brooklyn, maybe?

No…Middlesbrough is actually the birthplace of the Parmo, and what better place to enjoy this Teesside treat than the motherland of this fabulous fodder? No wonder Manjaros has grown from its original store in the ‘Boro to a total of twelve nationwide, including one in London’s East End. We’re guessing the demand “daan saaf” got too much, and people were getting sick of having to travel 250+ miles for a taste of Manjaros. To be honest, travelling 2,500 miles wouldn’t be out of the question - their food is that good.

Check out their menu here.