Rosso: Rio Ferdinand's Italian in the city's most spectacular dining room
"Rio Ferdinand's Italian restaurant in a stunning Grade II listed banking hall. The setting alone is worth the visit, and the food has improved significantly over the years."
At a glance
- Address
- 43 Spring Gardens, M2 2BG
- Neighbourhood
- Deansgate
- Website
- rossorestaurants.com
- Best for
- Date nightSpecial occasionsGroupsItalian
The good
- +One of the most beautiful dining rooms in the city
- +Excellent for special occasions and group dinners
- +Solid Italian menu that does the classics well
- +Brilliant cocktail bar attached
- +Sunday lunch is good value for the setting
The caveats
- −Pricing reflects the location more than the food
- −Can feel touristy on weekends
- −Not for an intimate, quiet meal
On this page(3)
Rosso is the restaurant Mancunians love to be sniffy about and then secretly enjoy. It opened in 2009, owned by ex-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, in a Grade II listed former bank on Spring Gardens that has to be one of the most spectacular dining rooms in the country.
The Room
Rosso is housed in a Grade II listed former bank on Spring Gardens in central Manchester, and the dining room is one of the most spectacular in the country. Marble columns rise to a domed ceiling. A sweeping staircase leads from the ground floor bar to the upstairs dining room. The chandeliers are properly enormous. The space feels closer to a fashionable Italian palazzo than a city centre restaurant, and the photographs do not do it justice.
The atmosphere depends entirely on when you visit. Weekday lunches are surprisingly calm and feel like a proper grown-up business meal. Friday and Saturday nights are theatrical, loud, and full of celebration. Sunday lunches sit somewhere in between. The clientele is a mix of locals marking special occasions, footballers and their entourages (the restaurant is owned by ex-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand and the connection is part of its identity), and tourists who have been told it's worth a look for the building alone.
The Food
The menu is solid Italian cooking that does the classics well rather than trying to reinvent them. Pasta is hand-made on site and consistently good: the lobster ravioli, the truffle tagliatelle, and the spaghetti vongole are all reliable orders. The pizzas are fine. The steaks are properly executed. The sea bass and the lamb shank are the best of the secondi.
A recent visit included a starter of burrata with heritage tomatoes and basil oil that was as good as any in Manchester; the lobster ravioli with a saffron cream sauce that was rich without being heavy; a beautifully cooked sea bass for two with crushed new potatoes; and a tiramisu that was elegantly plated and exactly as comforting as it should be. The wine list is broad and reasonably priced for the setting, with strong Italian coverage and a few well-chosen French and Spanish bottles.
The Rosso bar is reason enough to visit even if you're not eating. The cocktail programme is more creative than the dining menu and the room itself (with its high ceilings and curved bar) is one of the best places in central Manchester for a pre-dinner drink.
The Practicalities
Bookings essential for evening and weekend service. Lunches are easier. The Sunday lunch menu is good value for the setting. Card only. Service is polished and slightly theatrical. The building is on Spring Gardens, a couple of minutes from St Ann's Square and easy walking distance from St Peter's Square Metrolink. Allow at least two hours. Save it for a celebration.