Fumo's chintzy interior may be what draws in the custom of footballers and Corrie stars, but here it's more so the food that deserves a song of praise. With a menu spanning breads and nibbles, fritto, carpaccio and tartare dishes, pasta, pizza, meat and fish, you're best off trying out something from each area to create a shareable spread of delicious Italian cicchetti-style dining.
The porcini pappardelle is a genuine feat (even if ours did come with a few rogue strands of spaghetti), with silky, al dente ribbons lapping up their rich, nutty sauce. Elsewhere on the menu highlights include the decently priced broad bean bruschetta, the delicate and delectable octopus salad and the Italian sausage served on a bed of plump beans.
The cocktail list is good, though at the time of launching there was a strong negroni menu courtesy of Manchester drinks maverick Jamie Jones, which seems to have been booted out by a baffling tiki menu as the summer months crept forward.
Service is abrupt and not always as attentive as it perhaps should be, but is by no means unpleasant - if anything, the brash approach works well to break up the stuffiness of the plush space. Just don't be surprised if sometimes your dishes get forgotten or take forever to arrive, and for the smiley Italian response to simply be, 'It will come!'
Expect to pay £50-£60 for a meal for two including five to six small plates and a bottle of house plonk.