Canto — Restaurant in Manchester

Avoid this place like the plague. I booked for, what I thought, was their tipsy tapas offer on a Saturday. The day before I was called to confirm my reservation to which I said, yes it's for the tipsy tapas and can I confirm I can bring my dog. The person on the phone confirmed and all was fine. Come Saturday we were running slightly late so I rang to say we are running late for our tipsy tapas reservation. The person on the phone mentioned that was fine but they aren't doing tipsy tapas anymore. I was confused as i'd had this confirmed and explained the situation. He said it wasn't possible as tipsy tapas has not happened for several weeks. I asked if i could speak to my party before confirming. Upon reflection, our group wanted to do a bottomless brunch so I rang back and said that due to the misunderstanding we no longer needed the reservation. A new person was on the phone who seemed not to care whatsoever about the misunderstanding and said we would be charged £15 per person for not showing up and that they were very busy and had to turn people away. We went back and forth until eventually she said she would speak to her operations manager to see if it could be waived but there's no guarantee. We decided, as we were close to the restaurant, we would go in, order a drink and head elsewhere. Upon arrival we saw a blonde woman on the phone and we waited by the door. It became apparent this woman was speaking loudly about me and the situation with the reservation claiming I was lying about it to get out of paying the fee, In the middle of the restaurant, which by the way was 2/3 empty (something Jay Rayner noted when he also had a horrendous experience). She continued to berate me and my husband stepped forward and said we could hear her. She then scurried off to the back to finish her, what I can only imagine was more offensive chat, only to come back and claim she wasn't saying anything of the sort. At this point they said they weren't going to charge us and we left. The complete lack of professionalism and downright audacity of the staff here is unacceptable. Now I know why it's...

While I loved this restaurant when I visited in March 2022 (and would have been happy to give it 5 stars then), standards appear to have taken a nose dive.

We were there for a birthday dinner on a Sunday evening and the restaurant was not particularly busy… but I do wonder if they are understaffed.

We arrived to the manager (??) on the phone, presumably taking a reservation. There was no acknowledgment that customers were standing and waiting. Another group had arrived by “mid phonecall”, so the “line” was building. Not a smile, a nod, a wave or even a look. Very odd… not the great first impression one presumes a restaurant seek to project.

The two other members of staff who took our orders and served the food were nice and friendly . It was somewhat strange that the food appeared quickly, tables were cleared quickly, desserts appeared quickly… then no one asked about tea/coffee/more drinks.

The desire to have coffee dissipated after 30min of waiting for attention… and we decided to ask for the bill. When the manager sat the bill down, I asked immediately for the card machine. Then it was more waiting.. and we had to ask for it again. We were finally allowed to pay almost 20min after asking for the card machine, almost an hour after finishing our meal.

Food wise, it wasn’t as great as I remembered it to be… some of the dishes have clearly changed (new chef??). The ox cheek was excellent, the aubergine and gambas were good, everything else was pleasant enough. (Don’t order the squid or patatas bravas, those weren’t too pleasant really)

For the price point, I expected better… and remember that they can do much better. Not sure what happened. Very disappointed and I don’t think I’d...

Our visit to Canto was the perfect start to our Manchester United Thursday matchday experience! As football fans who travelled from Malaysia to watch United play, finding such a welcoming Portuguese tapas restaurant near the heart of Manchester made our trip even more special.

The warmth of Manchester's hospitality truly shone through at Canto. Thomas, who took our orders, deserves special mention for his exceptional service, particularly his thoughtful attention to my daughter's shellfish allergy (even suggesting she scan the QR code to check ingredients). He demonstrated the kind of care that makes visitors feel at home.

Every Portuguese tapas dish we ordered was delicious, and the desserts were phenomenal. The almond tart was the best we've ever had, and their tiramisu was simply out of this world - worth visiting for these alone! But the genuine friendliness of the staff enhanced our first meal in Manchester. When travelling far for a football match, these warm encounters make the experience more memorable.

The spirit of Manchester's hospitality perfectly complemented our football pilgrimage. As they say, "Glory, glory, Man United!" and glory to Canto's team for making our first Manchester meal such a wonderful experience. Thomas and the entire team helped kick off our Manchester United adventure in the best possible way.

This restaurant serves great Portuguese cuisine and embodies the welcoming spirit that makes Manchester special. For football fans or visitors to the city, Canto offers excellent Portuguese tapas, outstanding desserts, and the kind of heartwarming service that makes you fall in love with...