"I walk past Cocotoo every evening on my way home from the office and it's very seldom busy, which seems strange based on its great location near the Palace Theatre and its reputation for being Pavarotti's restaurant of choice when he was in town, albeit when Carlo Di Stefano owned the restaurant. Di Stefano started life in Manchester as a teenage hairdresser in the basement of Kendals before opening the amazingly popular Coco's on Fountain Street and then later the brilliantly named Cocotoo (or Coco 2). He since sold up to concentrate making his millions with his new San Carlo chain, a far cry from the more austere Cocotoo restaurant.Last Wednesday lunchtime, we found ourselves visiting after our first choice restaurant, Zouk, around the corner was closed. It was a pleasant enough if not inspiring experience, and boasted more than a hint of traditional Italian cooking. On walking through the door, it takes you aback at just how big this restaurant is. Built inside a railway arch underneath Oxford Road Station, there's an incredibly impressive huge replica of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling on the roof. Painted over two years by Manchester artist Michael Browne, famous for his portrait of Eric Cantona as Jesus, and who's work is prominently displayed at Orlando's in Chorlton and The White Lion in Castlefield, the painting is worth the visit alone.
Sadly the size of Cocotoo is also its downfall - it's so big the atmosphere can be flat when it's quiet, which is more often than not, and the background music is hardly audible. It does suit itself to large parties but, as a party of 6, we were the biggest group in there during our lunchtme visit. The fact there was just one chef and one waiter, summed up the amount of daytime trade Cocotoo normally have to deal with, which is perhaps understandable given its location off the main drag, opposite The Ritz. That said, the service to ourselves and the other 3 occupied tables was spot on, efficient and very friendly.
The food was very traditional, basic Italian fare, the type you experience in restaurants all over Italy. Tasty and fulfilling rather than impressive, reminiscent of so many trattoria kitchens, it's apparent you're in a family ran restaurant as opposed to a plush Olive Press, Piccolino or dare we mention it again, San Carlo. The two Pizza Calzones we ordered were enjoyable, amongst the best we've had in Manchester, whilst the Sea Bass in lemon sauce was beautifully cooked - the sides of roast potato, brocolli and carrots added to the traditional home cooked feel, with their old fashioned presentation. On the other hand, both Chicken Pizzas we ordered were less inspiring, each receiving non-favourable reviews and being described as both bland and unimaginative with their basic toppings of chicken strips and Mozzarela cheese. And this is the problem with Cocotoo, as our previous visits also indicated, despite the good service and favourable prices, it can be very hit and miss depending on the dish you order. If you order the wrong one, you're unlikely to return.
If you've never been to Cocotoo before, then we recommend it - if for nothing else but to see Michael Browne's excellent work of art! Just don't expect a modern style Anglo-Italian restaurant, the likes of which have sprung up all over the city since Coco's and Cocotoo ruled the roost. The cooking is more than likely however to bring back memories of those basic holiday meals you've no doubt experienced in Italia." - restaurants of manchester (17/4/2009 visited on a thursday lunch)
