A STYLISH family-friendly restaurant is to be opened in West Didsbury by the owners of Dukes ‘92.
The upmarket eaterie will be run by the team behind the Castlefield bar and grill and its sister restaurant, Albert’s Shed, and will be on the site of the former Barleycorn pub.
The building on Barlow Moor Road is being gutted and the ground floor lowered to create an open-plan restaurant and bar area. It is expected to be called Albert’s Bar and Restaurant.
James Ramsbottom, managing director of Elle R Leisure which owns the site, said he is looking forward to the restaurant opening.
"This is a great location," he said. "We’d been looking around sites in south Manchester and then this came on the market last year.
"It’s going to have upmarket quality food but at reasonable prices, so it will be suitable for families but also for professional people who want to go out for a nice meal after a hard day at work.
"There’s nothing like it in this bit of West Didsbury, but we’re hoping to attract customers from the whole of the area as well as Didsbury village and Chorlton."
The pub closed last year and LR Leisure bought it from brewery, Mitchells & Butlers, before Christmas.
The new restaurant is expected to open early next year, and will outdoor terrace at the front. Its menu will comprise modern British and Italian dishes, including children’s favourites, such as pizza and pasta.
James, 38, who lives on Mayfield Road, Whalley Range, said: "It’ll be on similar lines to Albert’s Shed in town, with an unashamedly modern interior and proper linen table cloths.
"But we also want to come along and have a drink in the bar area too."
James added that it would be unlikely to stay open as late as 1am, which the premises already has a licence for.
Some neighbours on the adjacent residential street, Old Lansdowne Road, said they were glad that former pub is to be turned into a restaurant.
Mark Franks who lives on the road with his wife, Barbara, and their three children said: "I’m pleased. It’ll be nice to have a restaurant rather than a pub."
