Rosso, the glossy Manchester Italian restaurant co-owned by former footballer Rio Ferdinand, has closed down after 14 years. Its management said it was “the right time to go at the height of our popularity“.

Well-known for its inevitable celebrity clientele, Rosso won wider renown in the city for its illuminated Valentine’s Day and Christmas decorations (pictured), which drew huge crowds of selfie-takers. It also won consistently respectable ratings from Harden’s for its “great food“, “amazing cocktails” and “superb Sunday lunch“.

The news of the closure came as a surprise, in a social media post on Monday which 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. 

“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.”

Ferdinand was at the height of his Manchester United career when the restaurant opened in 2009 in the grand former Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank building on Spring Gardens. In 2013, he offered United season ticket-holders a 20% discount on their restaurant bills to celebrate the club’s 20th league title.

The interior was originally painted in United’s ‘Rosso’ colours, although the decor moved on to a more neutral (and glamorous) white and gold during a 2017 refurb.