Ornella's Kitchen - Pasta-Deli in Tameside

Genuinely excellent - everything we ate was brilliant. I will definitely return

Superb food, friendly staff, great little restaurant. I can't speak highly enough of this unexpected gem of a place! Recommend to anyone who fancies good, authentic food

This is a popular restaurant, and I had to make a reservation three months in advance. The place is small but has a pleasant atmosphere, and the staff are friendly and welcoming. My family and I ordered steak, mushroom ravioli, and carbonara – all of which were absolutely delicious. We then ordered some desserts, which did not disappoint either. The prices and portion sizes were reasonable, allowing my family and me to enjoy a wonderful lunch. I’ve seen reviews saying that this is one of the best Italian restaurants in Manchester, and I believe that’s no exaggeration.

Ornella's Kitchen is a true gem! The food is simply amazing—full of flavor and made with love. The warm, cozy atmosphere and the friendly staff made the whole experience unforgettable. Can't wait to come back

We really enjoyed visiting Ornellas! It is a very tiny little place but the food and service was perfect!

How is anyone giving this place less than 5 stars, best pasta I’ve had my life

1st time here... All the reviews are true. Food was great (we recommend the Croissant French Toast & Sirloin Steak and Eggs) and both were amazing. Quick and friendly service. Coffee is lovely too.

We’d seen a number of reels and posts on Instagram raving about the food at Ornella’s and after managing to get a much sought-after lunch reservation, we can attest the hype is very much real! The food is honestly some of the best Italian food I’ve ever had—the wild garlic, spinach and mozzarella arancini with parmesan sauce was definitely the best arancini I’d ever had. I’m honestly still dreaming about the food, and desperately want another reservation before the menu changes. There wasn’t anything we didn’t enjoy, and we ordered a starter, small pasta and main size pasta each. In hindsight, we probably wouldn’t order the parmesan, truffle fries again as a side to share, just because it was a lot of carbs, but I did enjoy dipping them in my ravioli truffle pasta sauce. We weren’t sure if the portions were going to be generous but they definitely were. In the future I’d either order 2 small pasta dishes, or just 1 main, hopefully we’d be able to eat dessert then. The staff were incredibly kind though and allowed us to order desserts to take away, so we took the tiramisu which was enormous and quite creamy like a super soft cake. A bit less coffee flavour than I’m used to, but still delicious. It was honestly just a 10/10 experience, the only reason I put 4/5 for the atmosphere is because it’s a little small, and since a couple people had buggies it made the otherwise cosy venue a little cramped.

Spot bloody on !! Brilliant food , brilliant service and a great atmosphere can't recommend highly enough.

Really nice food and great service!

Me & my partner went to Ornella’s for the first time this evening (after booking the table 6months in advance) & honestly it was worth the wait! The nicest local food I’ve had in a long time. We had a mix of 6 small plates & starters, the garlic butter, spinach & mozzarella arancini was absolutely divine, same goes for the minty lamb ragu pasta dish. Couldn’t recommend this place enough. As soon as we left I put myself on the standby lists to go back! The staff were great too- very attentive & friendly. Also hats off to the chef, simply AMAZING!

Ate here today. Great food, great service. A real gem. Go if you can ( only 7 tables but availability pops up regularly).

If I could make love to that pistachio carbonara I think I would. Great service great food great restaurant.

If you want a table at Ornella's, you're going to be booking months in advance but it will be worth it!

I dream of the Pistachio Carbonara. One of the best dishes I have ever eaten. We also toom some tirimisu home, outstanding and a huge portion. I'd also recommend the homemade iced citrus tea, very refreshing.

Best pasta in Manchester, no comparison, don’t bother arguing. Waiting for months and finally got in, worth it! The highlight is the pistachio carbonara, also had the creamy sausage papardelle which was really rich and tasty. I only reserve 5 stars for places I’d tell you to go out of your way to get to. This is one of them.

The menu isn't big but there is a really nice choice. The food and service were excellent and the staff were very friendly. Highly recommend

The best! Visited three times now and loved it every time - brunch, lunch and tea. Would highly recommend the crispy guanciale potato bun for brunch, any of the sandwiches for lunch, and the minty lamb ragu or carbonara. Also the pistachio profiteroles are a must for a takeaway dessert 🔥

This place is just remarkable! The breakfast menu is just amazing. Lunch is varied I just love how beautiful everything looks and yet manages to taste amazing. Everything is always on point. Love the way tea is served in a clear cup slash pot combo. Real food cooked amazingly. My fav breakfast dish is the potato bun with crispy guanciale, Parmesan, rocket and the egg is always perfect! If you’re going in for lunch, I highly recommend the fried ravioli or the arancini both are amazing. We usually grab a huge selection of small plates and share our cos it’s all just so good! Staff are also so lovely and friendly! Thank you

Lovely food, lovely staff. Great atmosphere

One of the best Italian restaurants in Manchester! We’ve been so many times and the food has always been outstanding! Great portions and reasonable prices. We always order the pistachio carbonara - the best we’ve had ever! Highly recommend booking in advanced as they get fully booked for months. Hope to come back there again sooner than later. Oh the desserts are also so good!

Excellent experience from start to finish, and worth the wait for the booking! Make this your next Italian meal out, and you won't be disappointed. Really lovely, tasty food, great textures and fantastic prices. Love that they do the pasta in two different plates sizes too as it means you can try more of the menu. Everything was super fresh, and the service was great and very attentive. We didn't try the sandwiches, but they looked excellent too.

Booked so long ago I nearly forgot. Thankfully the reminder email was a nice surprise. Glad I got to experience the hype as it is well deserved. A humble dining experience. It didn't feel like the glowing reviews has affected the service at all. We were greeted by a lovely server who gave us recommendations, warm and friendly, checked in on us but never overbearing. The food was wonderful. We ordered too much so got full far too quickly and had to take lots home. Great for the next day. When I return I will definitely eat less to enjoy the dining experience. The problem was that it all tasted SO good. We got: lobster ravioli, wild garlic Arancini, beef meatballs, poached pear salad, Bolognese tagliatelle, truffle skin on chips, white chocolate cheesecake and the raspberry and pistachio profiteroles.

Very nice food. Excellent customer service. If you do plan to go, you will have to book in advance and the place is small, would say there is space for about 20 people in there.

This is probably the best Italian restaurant I have been to. Both food and service are amazing. You have to try the Carbonara w/ Pistachio If it wasn't that hard to get a table here I would be obese by now

What a lovely place, lovely staff and amazing food.

Worth the hype! Amazing food, perfect presentation, generous portion size and affordable quality!

Visited here after seeing it on social media. It is a very small restaurant with very little seating but it gives off a cosy, calm vibe. Staff were friendly. The food was really tasty. From the starters to the mains, I couldn't fault. Really reasonably priced. 2 drinks, 2 starters, 2 mains and a side was just over £50. Definitely recommend.

Best Italian in Manchester, say no more. Staff are lovely and it's a great little cosy atmosphere in there. Food is always spot on and yes there is usually a wait for a table (I'm talking months) but when it comes around it's so worth it, can't wait for our next visit!

one of the best restaurants in the Manchester area

Excellent little Italian with fantastic food. Great service. Highly recommend the lamb ragu, lobster ravioli and the sourdough garlic bread. Book as soon as you can.

Wanted to try here for so long and it did not disappoint! Absolutely amazing food, reasonably priced, lovely staff and great service!

We had an absolutely fabulous lunch at Ornella's. The arancini were the best we've ever tasted. The pasta with lamb and mint was incredible and the pistachio ice cream sandwich was superb. Incredible quality. The takeaway lasagna was also first class.

Probably the nicest meal I’ve ever had.

Visited a few times now and every time has been amazing. Excellent value for money and the service is always perfect. The new fried pesto ravioli and garlic arancini was sooo good - better than the honey arancini which I loved! We always get the lobster ravioli which is still my favourite. The new short rib gnocchi was good but I personally prefer the carbonara and sausage pasta I’ve had previously so wouldn’t order again! Always take the pistachio profiteroles home as they’re too good to miss!

I took a 40 minute drive here after seeing the TikTok reviews and I must say I was genuinely disappointed overall. I understand that I never booked for a table prior to my experience however when me and my mate arrived we was allowed to be seated, we then had placed our order and was waiting 5 minutes till a member of staff (after them quietly trying to decide which member should be the one to confront us as if we wasn’t approachable people) came and asked us if we minded just waiting in waiting area as the table was booked (no reserved marker) we had no issues as they said we could be seated at the next free table. After another 25 minute wait we was served our food in a takeaway box and bag (no forks either) and just made to feel as if we wasn’t welcome. All they had to do was say they was fully booked before placing our order we would have found somewhere else alternatively. Alongside the poor service the food was honestly flavourless myself I got a carbonara which was dry spaghetti in a tasteless cheese sauce crammed in to a box with 5 pieces of ham! Overall awful experience!

Amazing food and service. The restaurant is quite small and intimate but it has a very charming atmosphere. Food was amazing and the staff were faultless. We'll definitely be back.

Incredible. Just amazing food. The place is tiny, which is why you need to book a week or two in advance!

Incredible food, incredible service and reasonably priced - we might as well have tried everything on the menu and did a bit of a sharing system. The service felt homely, genuine and intimate. There wasn't one bit of food that wasn't incredible - the only problem is the high demand, this is a popular place and a small authentic venue so get it booked in!

My daughter, two Grandsons and myself went to Ornella's yesterday. We booked weeks ago and were really looking forward to it. We arrived early and ordered drinks and the mains promptly. I had the slow cooked meatballs followed by the beef short ribs. Both were lovely. My daughter and Grandsons all ordered the Carbonara, unfortunately, while it was lovely they did not enjoy it. They also started with sandwiches. This is the point at which it took a downward spiral. We asked for the dessert menu and I wanted to order a coffee. The waitress then informed us that the table had been booked following us and we would have to leave. My daughter being obliging ordered the desserts to go and I had to forego my coffee as I didn't want to drink on the go through a gob hole. Now, I appreciate that they do not have a waiting area and I certainly didn't want the party following us to have to wait I do think that a meal often includes dessert and coffee. I also sympathise with the waitress who had to ask us to leave. As it was the bill came to just over £114 and I was enjoying the experience until that happened.

Superb pasta. Warm and friendly service. It could be twice the size and still be full regularly.

Fantastic Italian bistro. Chill vibes and great food. The small plates are a must have.

Absolutely amazing home cooked food would highly recommend

Just the best Italian food I've eaten, including food I've eaten in Italy. Service was really friendly. It's easy to over-order!

Absolutely beautiful dishes, reasonably priced and dog friendly too! Would definitely recommend a trip here.

It’s nice but new menu has gone bit pricey. Each main dish has gone up by £3 which is quite a big jump

Had been meaning to get in here for a while and today was the day. Very nice food with lovely staff. Would be back again no fear.

I've been waiting months to try here and definitely worth the wait just for the lemon cheesecake! Absolutely gorgeous.

The best Italian restaurant that we have visited for food. We have tried several in the Manchester area. Everything has so much care and effort put into it, presentation was excellent. All the food was delicious we had several small plates so we could try lots of the dishes they were a generous size as was the desserts. So glad there is a gem like this in Denton. Can't wait to visit again.

Interview lasted a minute I'm not what they are looking for because I prefer fresh pasta rather than bought in

Somewhere I’ve been dying to go for a long time but haven’t had the chance until now or I’ve not been able to get a table due to popular demand so that’s always a good sign. Absolutely blown away with how amazing the meal was, some of the best italian food I’ve eaten in a long time. Just stunning, so flavoursome and delicious. Can’t wait to go back. Thank you team ornellas x

Excellent food and service. Really outstanding

We’ve used Ornella since Covid when we were getting home cooked meals. Wouldn’t have thought that it could ever get any better than that, but every time we eat here, every meals goes up a level. Tonight was a 3 course collection. Arancini to start with hot honey, minted lamb and spicy sausage pappardelle main courses with sourdough garlic break and skin on fries (all the carbs covered!). Got 2 cannolis for our desert later on when the kids are in bed and we’re a bottle of wine down. Amazing as always - thanks Ornella and team. (PS - my photos don’t do it justice!)

Once again an incredible meal, I had the papardelle fennel which was beautiful and filling , my son had pumpkin ravioli which was sublime

Great little place serving wonderful food.

First visit but definitely will not be the last.

I have just been for an incredible lunch at Ornella's Kitchen. Every dish was faultless and thoroughly enjoyable. Decent portions and reasonably priced. Thank you for making a hungry pregnant lady very happy! I will be booking again soon.

Wanted to try this place for ages! Food amazing!! Such good quality ingredients. Staff very friendly and attentive, lovely relaxed atmosphere. We ordered small plates to try lots off the menu. Garlic bread was unreal! Can highly recommend and will be returning.

Mushroom ravioli & pistachio carbonara were the best 2 pasta dishes of my life. The sticky toffee tirimasu was also exceptional

Delicious! Everything is amazing. From the quality of the food to the portions and the staff. Even the deli (we didn't taste yet the canolli, we are still stuffed, hahahaha). I will update when we do it. Totally recommend!

The place was lovely! Our waiter Lucy was amazing, polite, friendly and welcoming. 5 stars for the front of house staff! Unfortunately despite all the amazing reviews on Google, the food was just good. Not bad, but not amazing. The Lobster Ravioli was nice but couldn't really taste the lobster. The tomato basil sauce covering the plate was good though. The Mint Lamb Shoulder Ragù just wasn't it. It was just watery, unseasoned, and had bits of bone in it. The mint in the dish is just 2 small mint leafs placed on top. Not incorporated into the flavour of the dish at all. Wouldnt recommend this dish at all. The truffle parmagian skin on chips were nice. Couldn't taste any truffle (maybe its just truffle oil?) but the parmigian was nice. The mango cider was really nice though. If you find yourself here, I'd say avoid the lamb and treat yourself to a cider. Overall, the experience was okay. The prices are reasonable and the staff are lovely. Just the food left us leaving slightly underwhelmed.

This is the only Italian restaurant you'll ever need. I've eaten here and had a few takeaways over time and the quality is always superb. Its success is inevitable!

Can you swear on this platform? Probably not. Thats a shame because this place is really @@@@ing good and there isn't another word that fits as well as the one i want to use but can’t. The tables are tiny and the benches are a bit uncomfortable after an hour but the food is unbelievably good. The staff are smiley despite being rushed off their feet from opening to closing going from how hard it is to get a table. Did I mention the food? went this afternoon and if i could i’d go back tomorrow.

Lovely little spot that I’ve been dying to go back to for ages. We managed to get a last minute table cancellation and it did not disappoint. The service was lovely and friendly, and there was a lovely chilled atmosphere. The food was unreal and great value too. We will definitely be trying to get back in soon!

Obviously the food is tremendous! Although is it wrong to say I preferred the carbonara I make at home? Ha ha Can’t wait to go again and try some other things on the menu. The only downside is the size of the place, it’s tiny and is slightly off putting.

Really small venue and table but had lovely time

Absolutely 💯! A lot of restaurants can learn from your service and food. Fresh, authentic Italian food that is reasonably priced. Thank you Ornellas! We will be returning.

Wouldn't have believed it of Denton, a fantastic authentic italian deli style eatery. Brilliant service, the food is standout, lovely homely atmosphere. Really reasonably priced. Always fully booked!

Overtaken every other Italian restaurant I have tried in the Manchester area. Everything has so much care and effort put into it and is always presented nicely and is so delicious you can't help but pause after the first bite to savour it. So glad there is a gem like this in Denton!

Simply the best pasta I’ve ever had in Manchester. Everything from the 7 pasta dishes my party ordered to the garlic bread and dessert was incredible. I have already rebooked to visit this spot next year. 10/10 recommendation.

Food was Top tier! Second time visiting and certainly did not disappoint. Starters are absolutely amazing. Mains just as good! Great portions, excellent service and overall tasty food! Can't forget dessert to go. 100% recommend 😋

Fantastic place, absolutely love this place 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Fantastic food. Very reasonably priced. Lovely staff. Took a few months before we could get in but really worth the wait. Highly recommended.

Probably the best Italian in Manchester. Great value for money, big portions and fantastic service. Will definitely be back soon!

Feels like you are dining in Italy with the gorgeous food and ambience.

Food was very nice, staff were helpful & a joy, unfortunately there was a works party in the small space and hence it got very noisy which somewhat diminished the dining experience as you could not hold a conversation. Would visit again.

Descriptions on the main meals are not great both mains we ordered didn’t come out like what we was expecting. The starters were lovely and the atmosphere is really nice. Maybe we just chose wrong with the mains but I if your going to visit I would ask the waitress/waiter to describe the main to you. Also ask if there are any specials as we wasn’t told of any but then the couple next to us were and by that point we had already ordered.

Sorry, i don’t take a photo in time 🙄 all good!!!

Amazing food, arancini balls and the lobster ravioli made it!

I came for my second visit recently so thought I better leave a review. Every dish I've tried so far has been delicious. As a big eater I like the fact you can choose between a standard portion and large, please please don't ever change this. I had the beef rib with polenta recently and it was incredible. The service is really good too. Keep it up guys.

Off the scale food. Really awesome. Run by lovely people.

I really want to give this place 1 star, because it might help to reduce the collasal waiting list, but I can't. It's perfect. Sublime. Consistently the best food you'll find in Manchester. So much love to Ornella's Kitchen.

Just got home from a fab meal at Ornella's, only booked in this week after hearing nothing but great things. We had 4 dishes and 1 kid's penne pasta, all were cooked fresh and super tasty. Staff were very accommodating, would defo recommend.

Food and service was great. Lovely wine also. The portions I'd say are generous for the price. Would definitely recommend 👌 👍 🙂 if you can get a table, good luck they are very popular right now.

Such good authentic Italian food. You get fed like you're at Nonna's house! You won't leave hungry. The arancini were so crispy outside and gooey inside, the slow cooked short rib of beef just fell off the bone and the traditional tiramisu was as indulgent as you expect!

After this place being recommended to me, finally managed to book a table for a Saturday evening. So glad to have found a local place where the food is delicious! Good portion sizes, friendly atmosphere, good service. We literally booked to go again the next day as you have to wait for a table. A restaurant that's getting it right!

Wow! The most delicious pasta ever! Could not recommend enough- great value as well. I could eat here every day for the rest of my life. It surpassed the hype- amazing !

Love the food at Ornella's. The pasta dishes were at least good, if not excellent or extra special. All the pasta was cooked al dente. The autumn menu had a wild fennel and anchovy parpadelle which was really special. The carbonara with pistachio was also very good. The burrata was super creamy and came on top of a seasonally-appropriate layer of roast butternut squash. Really delicious. The desserts were phenomenal. The best item was the pistachio profiteroles. The choux pastry was crisp and the pistachio sauce was heavenly. Prices are extremely reasonable for the quality and quantity of the food. It's a shame that we live a bit far away, or we'd be visiting Ornella's weekly! (Maybe it's good news for the wasitline) Please note that Booking is essential for weekends and every evening. Don't even try to walk in - they are fully booked for weeks in advance.

The food was amazing so fresh and tasty, loved the Arancini starter, the minty lamb ragu and the Carbonara Al Pistaccio were my favourites, the staff were friendly and very helpful. We finished off the meal with a glass of pino Blush and a Cannoli perfect!!! The bill was unexpected so reasonably priced for such lovely food. Can't wait to come again and try the other dishes

Never fails to impress! Really tasty food. Great service too.

Quality authentic Italian that is ridiculously good value for money

Great food will definitely be coming back!!

Cosy restaurant and such amazing food. Great friendly staff. Where has this place been all my life? ❤️🇮🇹❤️

Really good food but make sure you book in advance. The wild fennel pasta was amazing

This is described as the best pasta restaurant in Manchester, but we disagree. We drove a long way because of the reviews, but were disappointed. The fried ravioli, though an exciting concept, were perhaps undercooked and the texture was weird in some parts. The burrata was excellent, but was overwhelmed by the sour butternut squash. The butter sauce in the cacio e pepe ravioli was ordinary and the chicken parmigiana was impossible to finish and got repetitive on the tongue! Garlic bread and tiramisu were the saving grace. I would never go that far again. The staff were overwhelmed in my opinion as the restaurant was full and the wait in between courses was too long!

After waiting 45 minutes for our meal (2 people dining) 1 meal came then 7 minutes later the 2nd meal arrived the first meal was cold, so it was sent back, when it returned it was half tge original portion the plate was very hot, the 2 dishes of pasta had hard pasta and the pork was like pork scratchings, when the waitress asked if we enjoyed our meal and we said no she just picked up the plates and walked off. For my experience I would not recommend eating here.

Very impressed with our first visit. Very generous and flavourful food.

Great to have Ornella’s in Denton!

We visited the restaurant after seeing good reviews and were really looking forward to taste authentic Italian food. The food was really tasty, however the service was super slow, it took them ages to come to our table and take orders. We were waiting 45 minutes from arriving until we received our meals. Pasta was not done, it was hard, definitely not al dente. This is quite disappointing as the restaurant could be really good but not under these conditions. I don't think we will be coming back.

First visit. Phenomenal little place. Pasta was amongst the best I’ve ever tasted. Service was prompt and smiley. Tables are a bit on the small side and it feels a little like you’re eating lunch in someone’s living room on the “emergency chairs”. Not a bad thing in this case. Reasonable pricing combined with the food quality makes for great value which is so rare these days. Really enjoyed the experience. Already made plans to go back.