Gary Neville restaurant slammed as 'absolute dross' and 'pretentious BS' in brutal TripAdvisor reviews before Man Utd icon closes venue over £1m debts

The Manchester United legend opened The Man Behind The Curtain restaurant in Leeds in 2014, with the former defender owning half of it. However, the Daily Mail states the venue, run by chef Michael O'Hare, folded with an unpaid tax bill of £519,000. Before it shut last December, it had an average rating of 4.5 stars but more and more one and two-star reviews were left on TripAdvisor towards the end of its run - with some describing it as "absolute dross" and "pretentious BS".

Neville's restaurant gained a reputation for its extravagant and expensive dishes, included a red prawn served on a telephone and cured cod, charred gem, dashi and vinegar - which was Mr Hare's creation for the BBC's Great British Menu in 2015. But this business venture by the former England international has ultimately ended in failure.

One reviewer wrote: "Disappointed but laughed about it afterwards. Cold and uninviting, extremely small portions and wine package was not to each course. Not worth the cost at all. Pretentious BS. Eaten at restaurants all over the world with and without a Michelin star. This was the worst by far. An experience never to live again! If you don't laugh about it though… which we did all the way home."

Another commented: "Glad it's closed. Nothing more than an overpriced, pretentious gimmick. Absolute dross, tiny portions in a silly setting, went for a burger after."

Neville, who has become one of the most famous football pundits in the world, is the majority share owner of Salford City and is reportedly looking for a new strategic partner to take the club forward after acquiring Peter Lim's stake in the League Two team earlier this year.