As many of our regular readers will know, us STYLEetc girls are foodie novices! We love eating, that’s for sure, and are thrilled when given the opportunity to sample the culinary delights of Manchester and flex our reviewing skills!
Recently, we visited one of our favourite Manchester restaurants, Rosso, to try out its summer À la Carte menu, which has been passionately hand crafted by head chef Steve Hildebrandt. The new À La Carte is a flamboyant fusion of Italian and English cookery, bursting with fresh, seasonal ingredients and locally sourced produce.
Situated on Spring Gardens at the top of King Street, Rosso’s beautiful 116-year-old Grade II listed building is bursting with historical character inside and out; boasting high vintage ceilings, magnificent marble and elegant antique details.
Inspired by the timeless journey that is the Italian meal, Rosso’s lavish bar boasts a stunning selection of delicious drinks, with fine sparkling wines, explosive spirits and top-notch cocktails to accompany your meal and thereafter. We enjoyed our meal with Pinot Grigio Blush IGT – Sanvigilo which was a light and perfect for summer!
On recommendation , for starter we tried the Filoncino, a rolled pizza filled tomato, spinach, mozzarella, ham and pepperoni; Arancici, a vegetarian option of deep fried spicy rice balls filled with smoked mozzarella and served over a rocket and cherry tomato salad; Carne Salata, a salt beef served with grand padano, rocket, lemon and a mini bottle of unfiltered extra virgin olive oil; and finally, Orzo, Tuna Steak served with barley and sweet potato salad and french beans.
Filoncino, £7
Arancini, £11
Carne Salata, £13
Orzo, £10
Of the four dishes, the tuna and the salted beef were our favourites! It was the first time I (Emily) had tried Tuna…EVER…and I loved it! It melted in the mouth and was so tender and not at all (typically) fishy!
We were so full from our starters that we decided to skip the traditional middle Italian dish, which we were told should traditionally be either Pasta or Rice. For their summer menu, the Risotto Nero has been updated with squid ink and the Fettuccine Con Gamberi E Pesto is also highly recommended, a mixture of fresh egg pasta with spiced king prawns and a fresh basil pesto.
Then on to the mains! With so much choice from pizza, pasta, fish, chicken and steak, it took us a while to decide! Eventually, I chose Pollo Al Vaniglia whilst Grace chose the Lamb on Hot Stones.
Pollo Al Vaniglia, £18
The Pollo Al Vaniglia consisted of a chicken breast stuffed with smoked pancetta and thyme farce, sitting on a bed of sweet potato puree and vanilla foam. You could smell the vanilla before it even arrived at the table and strangely went well with the chicken. The dish was really tasty however I felt the chicken was a bit dry for my liking but it was still thoroughly enjoyable!
Our second main, the Corona Di Agnello, which was tender lamb cutlets, served with pots of fresh mint jus, juniper and redcurrant jelly & rosemary scented olive oil, was simply heavenly and fun to eat too! The lamb chops came raw on a 200 degree hot slate plate, so that you can cook your meat exactly to your own liking, which means that you, the diner, are the only one to blame if it isn’t cooked right! In accompaniment were several scrumptious sides, including golden chunky chips and a tomato salad.
By the end of our mains, we were so full we couldn’t move so we shared one of their new summer puddings, Torta Formaggio All’uva Spina (thats Gooseberry Cheesecake to you!) It was delicious, creamy, and huge!
Torta Formaggio All’uva Spina, £7
Rosso regularly have live musical acts entertaining their guests from Sunday through to Friday, with an eclectic blend of deep jazz, modern classics and swing, making Rosso much more than just a restaurant!
Check out their new menu online and call 0161 832 1400 to make a reservation.
By Emily Parker and Grace Fleming
