It’s been a short and bumpy ride for Libertine, the Withington pub from the team behind the Northern Quarter’s Cottonopolis and Ancoats’ Edinburgh Castle. The all-day restaurant, bar and music venue opened in August 2022 after a complete refit of the former District Bank building but failed to reopen after the Christmas period. The rise in energy costs was cited as the reason.
Now it looks like the Wilmslow Road venue is about to be taken over by a new operator – Manchester-born burger joint, Almost Famous, who announced their intentions on social media with typical sass.
“ALMOST FAMOUS WITHINGTON 🍔” shouted their Instagram post earlier today (April 29th)
“FINALLY we are opening a NEW Almost Famous – we’re moving to the southside suburbs for our latest greatest fantastical burger heaven.
NGL last few years have been shit and a struggle for us all so this feels like a real super sherbet dibdab ray of sunshine.
We’ve got the old Libertine which is the most beautiful listed building (an old bank) right at the top of the high st and we’re decking it out with our usual fun and mischief and a 10ft gorilla.
This part of Manchester has always been home for me and like a playground between town and Dids… – kebabs at Abdul’s or Monsoon- the 42bus up and down – the Didsbury dozen – when curry’s in Rusholme were a fiver including a beer – Parklife at Platt Fields – Big Hands – feels good to be going into South Manchester.
We’ll be open for the end of May so stay tuned and hit us up if you want invites to the opening parties – let’s get back to having all the good times.”
This will be the fifth location for Almost Famous who have sites at Manchester’s Great Northern, on Edge Street in the Northern Quarter and in Liverpool and Leeds. They closed their original ‘legendary hangout’ on High Street in July 2022, ten years after it first opened. Almost Famous also has burger concessions at Bowling Alley chain Lane7 in Bristol, Newcastle and Leicester.
Almost Famous Withington will offer their signature burgers, cocktails and beers in a venue which has capacity for 120 covers, plus a private dining and events space. This will also expand their take out delivery catchment area into suburbs including Didsbury, Fallowfield, Burnage, and Chorlton, via Deliveroo.
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