Rosso Restaurant & Bar

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Rosso has always been one of Manchester’s most elegant restaurants, moreso after the stylish upgrade back in early 2017. Owned, famously, by Rio Ferdinand, it caters for the more fashionable (and monied) diner, with footballers rubbing shoulders with old money.

So far, so swanky. But how’s the food? We’re here for the launch of Festa Italiana, so the dishes on offer may vary slightly from the main menu – we suspect the maestros at Salvi’s had a part to play in the creation of this menu – but we can expect a fair example of what Rosso has to offer.

The canapes are a treat, offering up everything from porcini mushrooms to fat ripe olives, on crumbly crackers. A neat start.

The first course proper is also the best. Tortellini di ricotta e limone is, as the name suggests, two plump tortelloni, stuffed with ricotta cheese and lemon, resting in a pea broth with new season peas and the slightest hint of fennel. The flavours are delicate, the textures soft and crumbly and the whole plate is a summery delight – shortly after eating this, the sun finally decided to come out over Manchester after three months of grey. It’s no coincidence.

Next up, suprema di pollo, a corn fed chicken supreme, served on top of sweetcorn, both loose and in satisfying chunky wedges, plus a smart lemon and oregano pairing, alongside parmesan mousse and with a crispy chicken crumb. It’s a fine main, with a nicely crisped skin on the chicken – literally the only thing you should care about when it comes to chicken. Again, it’s light and summery.

Never has one dessert wobbled quite so obscenely for so long

Rudest dish on the menu? That’s the pannacotta d’avena e finocchio – oat milk pannacotta with a huge outlandishly-rich blob of Itakuja chocolate and some oddly-inedible candied fennel. The pannacotta itself is a thing of wonder, never has one dessert wobbled quite so obscenely for so long. And it’s delicious.