The news about the Didsbury restaurant has been met with sadness from some of the venue’s regular customers
11:22, 18 May 2026Updated 12:08, 18 May 2026
Italian restaurant Azzurro in Didsbury has sadly closed after 21 years(Image: Instagram: @azzurrodidsbury)
An independent Italian restaurant in Didsbury has closed its doors after more than two decades as customers say they are ‘absolutely devastated’ at the decision.
Since opening 21 years ago, Azzurro, on Burton Road in West Didsbury, has become known for its freshly-made dishes with its small spot often being booked up and full at the weekends.
Azzurro’s menu includes the likes of a whole seabream, home-smoked venison meatballs, a butternut squash, spinach and ricotta cannelloni, and their popular pork Milanese – hailed as a classic ‘Italian comfort food’ dish – featuring a bread-crumbed pork fillet with linguine in a chilli, garlic, tomato and basil sauce.
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But in a post on social media last week, owners of the restaurant said they had made the difficult decision to close down permanently. The post wrote: “Some sad news. Azzurro has closed. We couldn’t make it work anymore. Thank you Didsbury for the last 21 years.”
The news was met with sadness from many of the restaurant’s regular customers. One person commented: “This is so so sad. One of the best.” Another commented: “Thank you for everything. You and your family put your heart and soul into Azzurro and the love showed in every dish you cooked. We’ll miss you – the people and the food x.”
One other added: “Such sad news! Truly the most authentic and delicious Italian around. I hope we see you again in the future.” Another wrote: “Best steak and seafood linguine and best restaurant on the rd! Sorry we couldn’t visit more often. All the best to you guys and the lovely Azzurro family.”
The cosy independent restaurant was known for its fresh and authentic Italian dishes(Image: Instagram: @familyhomecook)
Many also praised the restaurant for their takeaways during the pandemic. One posted: “Sorry to hear. You have been our solid go to for years and your take outs during covid kept us feeling normal. Best of luck for whatever comes next.” Another said: “Oh, I’m so sad to hear this. Your takeaways during lockdown were some really lovely memories for me. Thank you for some lovely evenings in person too.”
Food and lifestyle content creator Richard Rodriguez, who posts to his over 21,000 followers on Instagram as @familyhomecook, also responded to the news by sharing his family were behind the restaurant. He wrote: “Sad to see my cousin’s restaurant @azzurrodidsbury close after 20 years.”
He added: “Good times, busy services, full of laughter and proper food. An Italian restaurant done right. The memories still taste the same.”
The sad news comes just a couple of months after Didsbury was named one of the best places to live in the UK by the Sunday Times where it was praised for its quaint pubs, cafes and restaurants, as well as its great public transport connections to town.