Manchester eats: Pizza and cocktails at Stevenson Square’s PLY

Since finally opening in March this year, PLY has been stealing the show when it comes to wood-fired pizzas. The Stevenson Square bar and restaurant boasts an envy-inducing focal point: its disco ball pizza oven (pictured), which will bake a Neapolitan-style pizza to order in just 90 seconds. With a 13-strong pizza menu, it’s hard to know how best to spend your hard-earned cash – but multiple visits have proven the spicy ‘nduja sausage (£10.50) with red peppers to be a firm favourite. Close behind comes the artichoke and smoked pigs cheek (£12) – an unusual combo that works deliciously well. Catering for weekend diners, meanwhile, PLY now offers a meatball special (£11) on Saturdays – plus a Sunday brunch special (£11.50), featuring smoked pancetta, fennel sausage and an egg. Highlights from the cocktail list include the rye-hard (£7.50) – delicately balancing Rittenhouse rye, amaro and marmalade – and measure for measure (£6.50), combining gin with rosehip and mandarin with refreshing results. With word of a food menu refresh on the horizon, it’s time to vote with your feet and help decide which pizzas become PLY mainstays.

PLY, 26 Stevenson Square, M1 1DW, www.plymcr.co.uk, @plymcr