Best Pizza in the Northern Quarter and Ancoats (and Where to Go for Dessert)

Rudy's Pizza Napoletana was started by Jim Morgan and Kate Wilson, who moved from London to Manchester and named the business after their dog. It began in 2014 as a weekend pop-up in Ancoats with a portable oven, then opened as a permanent pizzeria on Cotton Street, overlooking Cutting Room Square, in 2015. This Ancoats site is the original Rudy's, and the brand has since grown to other cities around the UK.

The pizza is Neapolitan, made with dough that is fermented slowly for up to 24 hours for a light base and an airy crust. Pizzas are baked fast at a very high heat in ovens from Naples, taking around a minute each. The menu uses San Marzano tomatoes and fior di latte mozzarella, with pizzas such as the Margherita and the Romagnola with aged prosciutto. There are vegan and vegetarian options too.

Noi Quattro means "we four" in Italian, a nod to the four Italian friends who own and run it. Three of them come from Turin in northern Italy, while Daniele is from Salerno near Naples, and he taught the others how to make pizza the southern way. The team already ran The Pasta Factory on Shudehill before opening this independent pizzeria in the Northern Quarter in 2018.

You'll find it at 120 High Street, between Mackie Mayor and Common, in Manchester's Northern Quarter. The pizza is Neapolitan in style, soft, light and chewy with a big crust, and it is cooked in two Italian-made wood-fired ovens. Alongside the pizzas, the menu has Italian stuzzichini and cuoppi, paper cones of fried street food such as calamari and arancini. The pizzeria also runs pizza-making classes.

Ciaooo Pizzeria is an independent Neapolitan pizzeria on Swan Street, on the edge of the Northern Quarter and Ancoats in Manchester. It was set up by co-founders Stefano Mordecchi and Lory Grigorie, who have since added Ciaooo By The Slice, a Roman-style sister venue on Shudehill. The Swan Street pizzeria is the original Ciaooo.

The pizzas are made with slow-rising sourdough, giving a soft, chewy base and a big crust. The menu includes a range of pizzas topped with burrata, alongside classics such as the Friarielli with provola and wild broccoli. Starters include deep-fried lasagne, and there are special edition pizzas that change regularly.

Proloco is a pizzeria on Great Ancoats Street in Ancoats, inside the One Port Street building, and it opened in August 2026. It comes from chef Richard Carver, who founded Honest Crust sourdough pizza in 2013, and Dan Hope, co-founder of the Manchester club Rainy Heart. Music is part of the idea, with a bespoke sound system built by Turn End Audio.

The pizzas are 18 inches across, baked in a deck oven with flour grown and milled for Proloco in the Lake District. Classics such as the Marinara and Margherita sit alongside seasonal pizzas that change each week, and you can order half and half. Produce is local where possible and British by preference, with tomatoes and olive oil brought in from Italy. There are seasonal sharing plates too, plus house-made gelato using organic Cumbrian milk.

Ramona is a Detroit-style pizzeria and bar on Swan Street in Ancoats, opposite Mackie Mayor and Band on the Wall. It is set in a former MOT garage and depot, with warehouse spaces, roller shutters, industrial garage doors and a forecourt. Alongside the pizzeria there is a margarita bar and an outdoor stage.

Detroit pizza is square, a style that began when pizza in Detroit was first baked in steel pans borrowed from the city's factories. At Ramona the dough is fermented for at least 24 hours, and the cheese melts down the sides to form a crispy crown around the edge. Sides include truffle tater tots, and the bar is built around margaritas and craft beer. There are fire pits, DJs and club nights, so it leans more to a night out than a quiet dinner.

After pizza, head to BLACK MILK at 88 Oldham Street for dessert in the Northern Quarter, Manchester. BLACK MILK has been on Oldham Street since 2015, serving milkshakes, freakshakes, pancakes, ice cream sundaes and gelato. There are fresh bakes, edible cereal bowls and sticky toffee with ice cream, with vegan and gluten-free options too.

It is walk-ins only, so there is no need to book. BLACK MILK stays open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, until 11pm on Thursdays, 10pm Monday to Wednesday and 9pm on Sundays, which makes it an easy late stop after dinner. You can also take home its award-winning cream spreads in pistachio, hazelnut and white chocolate.