The family-run pizza spot that many didn't think would last but is now loved by Manchester City stars

'We did have a lot of people tell us in the beginning that we weren’t going to last'

Manchester is, objectively speaking, home to some of the best pizza spots in the country. That’s pretty much a fact at this point. And whilst 'za served by the slice is certainly not a wild concept for the city these days, a new (ish) pizza spot is hoping to switch things up with their pizza al taglio creations.

Ciaooo is not a new name in the city’s pizza scene, either. They have had a restaurant on Swan Street since 2018 which has been visited by big names like Manchester City star Rúben Dias and actor James Nesbitt. Until recently, Ciaoo also ran a loaded garlic bread spot in Shudehill.

That garlic bread takeaway has now been transformed into Ciaooo By The Slice - serving up Roman-style pizza by the slice - focused on a perfect crispy yet light consistency - with fresh and authentic Italian ingredients at an affordable price.

“I think we are still used to a lot of American or Napolitan pizzas,” co-owner Lory Grigori, who runs Ciaooo with head chef and partner Stefano Mordecchi, tells the Manchester Evening News of why Romany pizza hasn’t really arrived in the city centre yet (although it does exist outside the city, like at Ceresis in Sale and Leoncino in Urmston).

“But we are from Rome, so this is the type of pizza that we have been brought up on. We used to have two shops back in Italy and this is what we served there all the time.”

Its pizzas will feature a rotation of toppings, including pulled pork, truffle oil, pepperoni and their own homemade hot honey featuring a combination of scotch bonnet and scorpion chillis, as well as honey from bees in Trafford.

The pizzas are baked low and slow on large trays in an electric oven, before then being cut into 9x6” slices ready for dine-in or take-away. Prices start from £4 a slice, whilst there is also a £7 lunch deal for any pizza and a soft drink or coffee.

“All the ingredients are from Italian suppliers,” Lory says. “It’s really important for us because you can taste the difference - it makes you feel like you are eating a real part of Italy. It is a taste of Italy in the UK.

“These are the same ingredients we used in our restaurant in Italy, and they are the kind of things they are using in Rome now. They’re selling the same. Stefano is always thinking about what works, he’s all about the pizza. He will constantly be putting ingredients together and coming up with new things.”

Taking up the spot once home to their loaded garlic bread shop, which opened in 2023, Lory says the shop taught them what customers wanted from them. “It worked well for a little bit,” she admits. “But people would want pizza or other things besides garlic bread. We thought we could make the concept a bit better and here we are.”

Speaking of running a pizza restaurant, Lory also says: “It's a lot of work. It was really hard to begin with. And, we did have a lot of people tell us in the beginning that we weren’t going to last.

“We called it Ciaooo for the Italian words for hi and goodbye, which is the same thing, and, at the beginning, the three O’s on the logo were the Italian flags. We thought it sounded nice that it is a longer ciao - a longer hello or goodbye to people that visit.

“Many told us that with our name, we would shut down soon. They did not believe it would work. But we are still here. It has been seven years since we first opened.”

Ciaoo By The Slice will also be serving freshly-made Cannoli's, as well as slabs of Lory’s own homemade tiramisu. It’s so good, she says, that her cousin back in Italy now demands a whole tiramisu instead of a birthday cake each year.

Alongside the traditional, her tiramisu creations include Biscoff, Pistachio, and Kinder Bueno, as well as a rotating special which right now features an intriguing mix of banana, salted caramel and crispy pancetta.

“I’ve been making tiramisu since I was a child,” she laughs. “I never had any training on it, but I just really enjoyed making it - some of them were nice, others maybe not so much.

“I have seen some recipes online where people have mixed the traditional recipe up with things and it gave me the idea of starting my own tiramisu company on the side. They have been selling out all the time.”

With Ciaoo winning and being recognised at top national awards, like being shortlisted for Best Family Business and Best Pizza at last year's Italian Awards, Lory says it is nice to be held in such high regard amongst the city’s deeply competitive pizza scene.

“We love what we do and I think people can taste when something is made with love,” she explains. “And we can offer something that might not everybody has tried before. It’s exciting.”

Ciaooo By The Slice is on 93–95 Shudehill, M4 4AN. Open from 12pm–10pm, Monday to Sunday.