Solita, a bloggers fave and a hipster foodies Instagram dream tucked away on an unassuming back street in the thriving and trendy Northern Quarter of Manchester. Surrounded in the NQ by an array of new food joints catering to every palette imaginable, Solita means ‘South of Little Italy’ and is named for its location beneath Ancoats, which used to sport a thriving Italian community.

Don’t judge this place by looks alone though, it may not look like much from its backstreet location or humble upstairs dining area, Solita Northern Quarter expands down into the basement with plenty of room to pull up a chair and chow down on some dirty ribs.

Solita’s menu is seemingly inspired by Man vs Food straight from the dirty burger and chicken wing joints of the US of A. From its iconic Big Manc (think Big Mac with some serious burger patty power), The Widowmaker (a 21 inch hot dog loaded with beef, cheese and sauce) and the mammoth meat and special Solita Sharing platter showcasing such delicacies as deep friend mac & cheese bites and cheeseburger spring rolls, Solita is the place abandon all cutlery at the door and tuck your napkin into your shirt collar….this is a menu designed to be man handled.

Launching new and stomach defying burgers on a regular basis and layering pretty much anything to make a tower of food not for the faint hearted, Solita ain’t just a meat eaters paradise.  The menu comes packed with it’s very own veggie takes on some of the best dishes (hello veggie burger spring rolls) so you can take along your favourite herbivore without either of you feeling like you’re being duped out of a meal.

Solita is the place abandon all cutlery at the door and tuck your napkin into your shirt collar.

Hands up if you always order too many sides?  That’s definitely me, ESPECIALLY if the sides menu looks just as appetising as the main event: brisket chilli fries, cornmeal fried jalapenos, bacon wrapped onion rings… you can see where I’m coming from.  If those deep fried dishes don’t have you salivating on your screen, the 60/40 buttery, delicious and creamy mash will.

If you’re looking to compliment your calories with some cocktails, look no further than an extensive drinks menu showcasing the gin-der-ful Zest for Life (Beefeater gin, Limoncello, vanilla syrup, lemon juice, cream, soda top) and the Apple Pie (Zubrovka vodka, lemon, cinnamon syrup, apple juice, apple, Cinnamon sprinkles) with a respectable selection of craft bottled ales and on tap if that’s more your jam.

Solita doesn’t just do lip smacking good savoury, it’s also a sweet toothed devils slice of heaven and despite being full to the brim with a Crab Patty (read: a literal crab on a burger), I couldn’t resist satisfying the overwhelming chocolate orange deviant inside of me with the Jaffa Cake ice cream cake with a tangy orange drizzle topped with a dusting of icing sugar.

Stick a fork in me, undo my top button and pass me a napkin, Solita Northern Quarter,  I am done.