Brews & Eats
Franco Manca's new Oxford branch opens with a bang

Like a culinary warzone - but in good way. Ben Fitzgerald was there.

It was just  so.. noisy. Turning up at Franco Manca’s Oxford launch party was a bit like stumbling across an Italian-themed riot - everywhere I looked things seemed to be on the verge of falling apart. A teetering tower of unattended espresso cups, waiters on a collision course, freshly made pizzas dripping with napalm hot mozzarella. But my God, it was the best smelling riot ever. “Err I’m here for the launch?” I ventured. The waitress pointed to the back of the room with her elbow and said something that I couldn’t hear - it could have been ‘anchovies’ or ‘arseholes’.. I wasn’t sure.  The place was packed and to work our way to the far recesses of the restaurant, I had to pass uncomfortably close to my fellow patrons, ducking under someone’s drinking arm and stepping over someone’s lap. We started with the Burrata Pugliese - incredibly melty mozzarella filled with cream and a simple selection of wild pig fennel salami - sort of slung down in front of us in relaxed, if not downright actively rude fashion. I think the idea is that the food can speak for itself - why do we need formality when the food is so darn fine? I’ve been to quite a few restaurant openings before, and usually they are quite anxious affairs - with hand-wringing head waiters asking if everything is still to sir’s satisfaction with the truffle and avocado foam. I normally end up with a tight knot in my stomach. Not so at Franco Manca’s - our Lithuanian waitress, who flung herself down at our table as we tucked into a taste explosion of freshly made sourdough pizza (Gloucester old spot ham, mozzarella, buffalo ricotta and wild mushrooms) explained that the air of frenetic chaos was a deliberate part of the ‘Franco Manca’ experience. She explained: “In some places, if someone breaks a plate, the waitress looks apologetic and everyone is embarrassed for her. Here at Franco Manca’s, we are always breaking things, and when that happens everyone cheers. Sometimes the chefs do it deliberately if they think everything’s a bit quiet and reserved - that’s the way we like it at Franco Manca’s.” Well, whether it’s the flying crockery or the incredible food, they appear to have hit on something - since being founded in a Brixton restaurant in 2008 - the chain has proved hugely popular and has 39 stores nationally - with new branches bubbling up all over the place. You might think that with a rival pizza place on every corner that would be an almost impossible trick to pull off in such a crowded market place but it’s the obsessive attention to detail - even to the artfully engineered extrovert atmosphere - that tips the scales. Be it the amazing organic wine selection (sourced by small producers specifically for Franco Manca’s) or the exquisite espresso  - flame roasted by Gianni Frasi in 50 kilo batches. This place is fine tuned to perfection. It worked for me and I’m a miserable customer at the best of times - so I’m sure that it will work for you because you are a much nicer person. Visit the Oxford branch at 12 George Street and see what all the fuss is about. Go on. www.francomanca.co.uk/restaurants/oxford

  • Franco Manca's new Oxford branch opens with a bang
  • Franco Manca's new Oxford branch opens with a bang
  • Franco Manca's new Oxford branch opens with a bang
  • Franco Manca's new Oxford branch opens with a bang
  • Franco Manca's new Oxford branch opens with a bang
  • Franco Manca's new Oxford branch opens with a bang
  • Franco Manca's new Oxford branch opens with a bang
  • Franco Manca's new Oxford branch opens with a bang