Popular Italian restaurant San Carlo Flying Pizza extends 50 per cent off Eat Out to Help Out scheme

Diners at San Carlo restaurants in Leeds will continue to get 50 per cent off their meals from Monday to Wednesday.

This means guests will receive a maximum discount of £10 per person on food and soft drinks.

Alcoholic drinks are not included.

Try dishes such as Tagliolini Lobster, Ravioli Tartufo or the Tuscan veal escalope in breadcrumbs, pan fried in olive oil.

Or give their famous pizzas a try with toppings such as the Fiorentina, with spinach and egg or the Pizza Tartufo, with Caciocavallo cheese, porcini mushrooms and black truffle.

San Carlo has two sites - one on South Parade in Leeds city centre and the Flying Pizza restaurant on Street Lane in Roundhay.

A spokeswoman for the restaurant group - which also has sites in Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham - said they have extended the offer to say "thank you" to guests for their support.

She said: "Hey, who wants the GOOD news?

"We're extending Eat Out to Help Out every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday through September.

*Every restaurant except Alto at Selfridges will be taking part

"No government assistance required, this is our thank you to you."

San Carlo was one of the first Italian restaurants to open in the city and was a regular haunt for footballers, television stars and politicians.

It was ‘the’ place to be seen and guests even asked to be seated in the window so they were sure to be spotted.

The restaurant celebrated its 40th birthday back in 2017, which is marked with a party and lunch cooked by celebrity chef Aldo Zilli, and the unveiling of a revamp worth more than £200,000.

The previous owner, Adriano Piazzaroli came over from Italy especially for the event.

He said: “I came to Leeds in 1959 and I came to Flying Pizza as general manager in 1975. I got a share in 1984 then bought it by myself.”

Adriano sold the restaurant in 2002 to Carlo Distefano who now runs the family business with his son Martello.

Adriano added: “I have been back a few times over the years as my son Ricardo still lives in Leeds.

“Carlo is doing a fantastic job but it is something special for me to come back here for the 40th anniversary and see old clients and friends.”

At the time, Martello Distenfano said: “I have been coming to Flying Pizza since I was 10 – we would come as customers every Sunday.

“Because we have grown up here it is quite personal to us.”

There are now seven 'San Carlo' restaurants in the United Kingdom, including the Leeds site.

In London, the group also runs Alto by San Carlo, Signor Sassi, Fumo, and two San Carlo Cicchetti sites in London Covent Garden and Piccadilly.

In Manchester, there is a Fumo restaurant, a San Carlo Cicchetti, San Carlo Gran Cafe and San Carlo Bottega.

The San Carlo Florentina is located in the Manchester Airport Marriott Hotel.

In Birmingham, there is a Fumo site on Waterloo Street and inside the Selfridges store. There is also a Gran Cafe site in the Selfridges store.

The restaurant group has also expanded internationally.

There are now San Carlo sites in Bahrain, Bangkok, Qatar and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

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Thank you

Laura Collins