Diners have hit out at glitzy Manchester restaurant Rosso this week after being turned away for wearing shorts in the middle of a heatwave.
Despite owner Rio Ferdinand having spent the majority of his footballing career in said attire, his restaurant seems to have quite the strict dress code – as evidenced by a number of angry reviews left on its Tripadvisor page in recent weeks.
A number of diners have hit out at the Spring Gardens site for refusing them entry for wearing what they describe as “smart shorts”, with one lambasting instructions from the restaurant to read its T&Cs, saying “Who really checks these? We weren’t applying for a mortgage!”.
Bosses say that they make it clear to customers that there is a dress code at the site and that management retains the right to refuse entry at their discretion.
Earlier this year on 19 May, the restaurant issued a statement on its website that said: “Rosso has a smart dress code – no shorts/sportswear/hats. Management retains the right to refuse entry.”
Image: Rio Ferdinand
However, this really hasn’t gone down well with some of their customers – especially this week, as temperatures across the country have soared to 30C.
One review, posted by user eileenp80 to Rosso’s TripAdvisor page two days ago, told of how their group of nine were turned away from celebrating a 40th birthday despite turning up to the restaurant “smartly dressed” with the menu wearing “tailored shorts and smart polo shirts”.
She continued: “We hadn’t got as far as reception when a very rude man dressed in a track suit with a back pack on said, You can’t come in here wearing shorts. We had no idea who he was. Turned out he was a doorman. […] We thought he was joking, it was 27° outside. The receptionists confirmed this was so.
“I looked inside the restaurant, there were 4 tables occupied. One of which had a customer in denim jeans and a t shirt. We said surely you are not going to turn away a potential bill of £500+ due to this rule? In these economic times and given that the restaurant was almost empty, surely common sense could prevail? At this stage one of the children burst into tears because he thought we wouldn’t be able to celebrate the said birthday.
“There was absolutely no way we were to be allowed in. We were refunded the deposit and told the shorts rule is in the T&C’s. Who really checks these? We weren’t applying for a mortgage! On checking, this is correct but we were unaware of it. Coincidentally, we bumped into friends who had just eaten at Hawksmoor, all dressed in shorts. I know where I will spend my money in future. Rosso you disappointed us.”
Image: Rosso Restaurant
Another review posted this week by Tripadvisor user Alien-review tells of a similar experience, where they turned up in tailored shorts on a “very sunny day” only to be turned away by “a very abrupt and rude doorman.”
The reviewer continued: “When we asked to speak to the manager we were told very aggressively “ring them” another ‘customer’ entered in cargo pants, when we questioned this the doorman said “well there not joggers are they” we did ring the restaurant from outside but the manager refused to come out, also the doorman seems to not recognise that bookings are secured with card details with a no show charge, they did cancel this after we called them from outside.
“Maybe the doorman was the owner and under the current economic climate can afford to turn customers away. Also what if someone has a hidden disability that forces them to wear shorts! We have passed our comments on direct to the restaurant but we’re not expecting any response.
“Will not be returning and looking at the reviews not many others will be either, took our custom to a 4* establishment who were more than welcoming.”
The celebrity hotspot has been a fixture at the top of Manchester’s King Street for years, regularly pulling in famous faces like Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan
In a statement issued in response to the review, Rosso commented on the complaints saying: “We truly value all our customers but we do have a very clearly stated dress code which guests are made aware of at the time of booking and is available for all to see.
“The last thing we wish to do is to upset any of our guests.”
Feature image – Google
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Hundreds of new homes in Mayfield Park given green light
Daisy Jackson
The chance to live in Manchester city centre’s newest park (and one of its only green spaces) has taken a step closer, with plans for new Mayfield Park homes given the green light.
879 apartments have been approved this week, which will have ‘the ultimate front garden’.
The Mayfield district has been undergoing major changes in the last few years, including the redevelopment of Depot Mayfield (into Freight Island, plus a music venue for events like Warehouse Project) and the opening of the beautiful Mayfield Park.
And now hundreds of new one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes will be added to the area, as well as a 40% increase in the size of the park.
The plans for the first homes at Mayfield Park were met with unanimous approval by the City Council’s Planning Committee.
The residences will span across four buildings, with low-rise elements peppered in amongst the taller blocks, and will also be home to restaurants, cafes, and health and wellness facilities.
A new tree-lined road through the development will enhance walking and cycling connectivity from east Manchester into the city centre.
More than 880 jobs will be generated during the construction phase, plus 120 full-time jobs when operational.
Hundreds of new homes in Mayfield Park given green light. Credit: Assembly Studios
The proposals suggest that the apartments will contribute £2 million annually in Council Tax and a major £10 million boost to local businesses through increased spending.
The high-quality homes are designed by Studio Egret West and shedkm, designed to reflect the industrial heritage of the area, including distinctive arches.
20% of the first phase of homes are intended to be classed as affordable housing and will be prioritised for key workers in Manchester.
Henrietta Nowne, Development Director at Landsec, representing The Mayfield Partnership, said: “For the first time, Mancunians will have the ultimate back garden within the award-winning Mayfield Park.
“An opportunity like this hasn’t existed before in Manchester. Since starting on site earlier this month, there’s real momentum building as we continue to grow a green, healthy and connected district in the heart of Manchester.”
The approval marks the next chapter of the continued transformation of the Mayfield district near Piccadilly Station, led by Manchester City Council, TfGM, London Continental Railways (LCR), and Landsec.
Revenue from Manchester’s ‘big gigs’ to go towards supporting local grassroots music venues
Emily Sergeant
Manchester City Council is set to earmark almost £250,000 to support grassroots music venues in the city.
Following on from the success of the city’s huge summer of music, which in recent weeks has seen hundreds of thousands of fans converge in the city to see massive names like Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Charlie XCX, Elbow, and Robbie Williams, as well as other talents like Fontaines D.C. and Sam Fender still yet to come.
Oh yeah, and there was also that small matter of Oasis reuniting for five nostalgia-drenched gigs in Manchester’s Heaton Park earlier last month.
Over the course of the summer, it has been estimated that Manchester will have attracted a whopping 1.3 million music tourists, which is being described as a ‘tremendous’ boost for the city’s economy as a whole, especially the hospitality industry.
Revenue made from Manchester’s ‘big gigs’ this summer is to go towards supporting local grassroots music venues / Credit: Eldhose Kuriyan | Joshua Hanson (via Unsplash)
These huge events are also generating income for the Council too, either by being hosted in the city’s largest parks with commercial arrangements for their use, or through the business rates paid by major venues – and it’s this income that has been earmarked to go towards supporting grassroots music venues throughout the city.
As well as reinvesting part of this revenue into parks and greenspaces, the Council is planning to set aside £245,000 to be made available in financial support for Manchester’s grassroots venues.
While exact details are in the process of being finalised, the intention is that the scheme will be administered by the Music Venue Trust to ensure that the money gets to where it is needed as ‘quickly and effectively’ as possible.
It’s estimated that Manchester will have welcomed 1.3 million music tourists before summer’s out / Credit: Nathan Mullet (via Unsplash)
“Manchester is a big noise in the music world,” commented Councillor Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council, “and this summer, all eyes have been on the city as we’ve hosted some huge concerts and seen unprecedented success in our large venues.
“But while the biggest gigs might dominate the headlines, we know they are only possible because they are part of a wider ecosystem, with grassroots venues providing the launchpads for acts to develop and grow.
It's been a BIG summer of music in Manchester.
We've got pioneering plans to use money raised by some of the biggest gigs to support our grassroots venues – a vital ingredient of the city's amazing music scene: https://t.co/8ekQN7AmGBpic.twitter.com/MpVWpeHqbk
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 31, 2025
“We know that across the country, grassroots venues are struggling. That’s why we want to ensure that our grassroots venues can share some of the benefit from the success of those big events.
“We’re blessed in Manchester with an array of great smaller venues.
Georgina Pellant -
13th July 2022 
