Franco Manca Canterbury — Restaurant in Canterbury

Franco Manca, the overlooked pizza restaurant tucked away in within the main Highstreet, is considered one of the better restaurants within canterbury, with it always having a busy demeanour, its pizzas are not one to complain about; their home made delicacies, they truly try to offer a unique dining experience. They consider themselves 'authentic Italian' , and for a good reason too. Not only are the pizzas hand made, but its also fresh sourdough, made perfectly, that leaves the slight bitterness you expect from it, yet has such a rich flavour, has a nice crisp too it that you could only expect from good sourdough, not to mention how airy it is fresh from their very own pizza oven built into the main building itself. so if your craving a simple margarita, or want to explore the world of fish on pizza, this restaurant truly has you covered. to go along with this, the staff and chefs who work truly understand the necessities of human interaction, how to interest and intrigue, and to get you immersed in the environment they try and offer, with some of them beingly so strong willed and so friendly, you'll feel comfortable from the moment you walk in. yet, when it gets busy, it truly gets busy, with table waits being up to 30 minutes long. you could look elsewhere, but people always seemingly wait to try the restaurants food. Sometimes you'll find that the waiters always busy being somewhere else, yet they serve with passion and are always eager to try and get you served as fast as possible, with the food wait times being incredibly quick on a relatively regular time, yet regular being busy, you can expect the skilled chefs and the fast staff to always bring your food with little error.

i would highly recommend the trip to this restaurant, as its food will very much leave you satisfied, and with the good prices too, there's no reason...

Go to Chapter if you want actually decent sourdough pizza that is worth the price and has a good deal for students.

This is my first ever review because I had such a bad experience I felt I needed to write on it.

The managers are dressed so unprofessionally in a T-shirt and jeans, and I’m surprised they haven’t fixed that considering how many reviews complain about that already.

After being seated, no one came to check on us or ask us our order so we had to flag down the manager to take our orders.

For drinks: my friend ordered prosecco and I ordered a flat white. They both came in a tiny, cheap cup that looks like it can be bought in bulk from literally any home store. Prosecco in a tiny water glass? Why even offer it?

But to put hot coffee in a glass cup that does not have a handle when they had perfectly useable white mugs on top of the espresso machine? What was that? I asked about that and was told that it was part of Franco Manca’s “brand” that everything comes in those cups, including hot coffee. If true, that is really, really dumb. Further, I saw other employees using the normal mugs on the machine.

My pizza was burnt, and the spicy salami was clearly chorizo. If you’re going to put chorizo instead of salami on my pizza, just say so, as chorizo was listed as an ingredient for another pizza. Pizza flavor was 4.5/10.

After the pizza, the manager wouldn’t really take no when we said we were not interested in more food.

Don’t bother coming here...

Franco Manca Canterbury has become one of my favorite spots in town, and that’s not just because of their delicious sourdough pizzas which, by the way, are always fresh, flavorful, and authentically made. What truly elevates the experience here is the exceptional service, and no one represents that better than Ionut Vamesu.

Ionut isn’t just another staff member he’s the heart of the restaurant. From the moment you walk in, his warm welcome makes you feel like a valued guest. He remembers returning customers, always greets with a genuine smile, and has an incredible ability to make everyone feel comfortable and looked after. His recommendations are spot-on, his energy is positive, and his passion for what he does shines through in every interaction.

It’s clear that Ionut is not only deeply appreciated by the team but loved by the customers. You’ll often hear guests mention his name and it’s easy to understand why. He brings a personal, human touch that you simply don’t find everywhere. It’s rare these days to come across someone who truly enjoys providing excellent service and does it with such authenticity and kindness.

If you’re dining at Franco Manca in Canterbury, do yourself a favor and hope Ionut is on shift she turn a good meal into an unforgettable experience.

Thank you, Ionut, for setting the standard for hospitality. You’re a...