Rosso, the popular city-centre restaurant and bar co-owned by Rio Ferdinand,has confirmeditwill be closing its doors after nearly a decade and a half of business.
The former footballer’s Italian eatery has existed as a glamorous dining destination in Manchester for 14 years, with the ex-Manchester United star beginning his business portfolio with Rosso in November 2009, but the restaurant has now confirmed it will soon be shutting for good.
Issuing an emotional statement on social media, Rosso said, “It is with mixed emotions that we announce the closure of our Rosso Restaurant & Bar.
“Last night, after nearly 14 years, we were delighted to hold a final service for our wonderful customers.”
The statement went on to say: “It wasn’t an easy decision to close this wonderful restaurant which has flourished into an icon of the Manchester restaurant and social scene. It feels like the right time to go out at the height of our popularity and look ahead to new horizons.
“Rosso wouldn’t have been the same without our wider family, suppliers and our wonderful customers whom we have had the enviable pleasure of serving.
“We could not be more grateful to our Champions League-winning staff both past and present. Our thanks go out to each and every one of them for making Rosso what we are today.
“We always believed we should close Rosso on a high and we thank each and every one of you for being part of our championship team.
The restaurant didn’t give any specifics as to the reasoning behind the King Street site shutting down, but given the ongoing cost of living crisis and businesses all over the country struggling to pay energy bills and rent prices, it shouldn’t come as too huge a shock.
It was only this past November that fellow footballer turned businessman, Gary Neville, confirmed that The Bull & Bear would be shutting after chef and owner Tom Kerridge said that energy bills at his restaurants had surged by over 600%.
As for co-owner Ferdinand, the 44-year-old is yet to issue a statement following Rosso’s unfortunate news, but will no doubt be heartbroken to see his flagship venture outside of football come to an end of so many years of success.
Rosso becomes just the latest casualty in a long line of hospitality closures in Manchester. In another shocking bit of Eats news, Oxford Road’s popular food village and trading hall Hatch revealed it has been bought out, with vendors given just a month to find a new home.
Featured Image — Rosso Restaurants (via Instagram)/The Manc Group/Google Street View
Eats
Lively Irish pub Nancy Spains set to open in Manchester for the first time
Daisy Jackson
An Irish bar famed for its live music is heading up to Manchester for the first time, and is promising £2.50 pints to lure us in.
Nancy Spains will be venturing out of London for the first time promising to bring the ‘ultimate traditional Irish pub experience’ to the Northern Quarter.
If you were to ask what the hottest trend in hospitality is right now the answer would, apparently, be Guinness. We’re drowning in the stuff.
This latest opening is more about Murphy’s, another Irish stout, than Guinness (they actually won’t serve Guinness at all) but the craic will be much the same.
Nancy Spains is actually set to open almost directly opposite the aforementioned Salmon of Knowledge, taking over the former Corner Boy unit on Stevenson Square in the heart of Manchester.
To celebrate its opening, the pub will be serving its first 5000 pints of Murphy’s for just £2.50, so that it can show off the atmosphere that’s established it as ‘one of London’s favourite pubs’.
They’re promising an array of Irish whiskeys behind the bar, live music performances, and a lively late-night setting.
Nancy Spains was set up by three brothers who travelled all over their home county of rural Kerry researching Irish pubs, before launching two venues down in London.
They want it to balance a traditional pub with the vibrancy of the city.
Peter O’Halloran, co-founder of Nancy Spains commented, “We’re so excited to be launching in Manchester, bringing Nancy Spains to the heart of the Northern Quarter.
“After the success of our two venues in London, it was only right to bring Nancy Spains’ infectious spirit and Irish pride to Manchester. Slainte!”
Nancy Spains will open its first Manchester pub on Saturday 15 March at 21 Hilton Street.
Lucky Mama’s – The Italian restaurant serving pasta in a dough bowl and ‘pregnant’ pizzas
Daisy Jackson
Lucky Mama’s is a local sensation, thanks to its slightly whacky but delicious Italian creations like pasta served in a bowl made of pizza dough and its latest offering, a ‘pregnant’ pizza.
What on Earth is a pregnant pizza, you ask? Firstly we should stress this is a nickname we’ve bestowed upon the dish, rather than Lucky Mama’s chosen branding.
But essentially it’s a helping of fresh pasta that’s folded into the bubble crust of the pizza, like a half-calzone.
Lucky Mama’s started life when founders Mamadou Dhiam and Gaby Santos set up a trailer in their backyard in Eccles in the depths of lockdown.
But thanks to a formidably loyal following that’s spread the word of Lucky Mama’s far and wide, it now has two pretty pink restaurants in Greater Manchester.
Back in 2022, they threw open the doors to their Chorlton restaurant, before returning back to home turf for spot number two in Monton in 2024.
The recipes are fresh and pretty authentically Italian up until the last step, when they throw a curveball by loading their pasta into unconventional vessels.
‘Pregnant’ pizzas at Lucky Mama’sTraditional Roman pizzasLucky Mama’s pink restaurant in Chorlton
Their pasta pizza bowls are what they’re best known for and they fly out of the kitchen – this is where pizza dough is placed around a metal bowl before being baked in an oven.
Then it’s piled high with freshly made pasta, with popular flavours like cacio e pepe, mushroom alfredo, and rasta pasta.
Pasta is available in a regular ceramic bowl too.
You’ll find Lucky Mama’s at 565 Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton; and 217 Monton Road in Eccles.
Danny Jones -
18th September 2023 
