Manchester to lose another fine dining restaurant

Manchester is set to lose yet another fine dining restaurant.

The latest casualty in the city’s hard-pressed hospitality sector is the award-winning Grafene on King Street.

The highly regarded restaurant is to close its doors this weekend just three years after it first opened.

Other casualties over the last 12 months have included Manchester House, Artisan and The Rabbit.

Chef Aiden Byrne, who originally launched Manchester House, has since reopened the venue under its new name MCR.

Grafene was considered one of Manchester’s top restaurants thanks to the work of head chef Ben Mounsey – who was recruited from Fraiche in the Wirral.

Owner Paul Roden revealed that the restaurant is to close because of the ‘uncertain times and a difficult market’.

He said: “In the last 12 months we’ve been producing some really good stuff and when it’s been busy the atmosphere has been great.

“We’ve probably enjoyed some of the best fine dining in Manchester here and we could do over 100 covers on a good night.

“There’s so much going on and so many new openings, and that’s also against a general UK backdrop of very uncertain times and a difficult market.

“If you’re at the fine dining end of the market, you’re an optional luxury spend. You don’t have to go out and enjoy a seven course taster menu to survive.”

It is believed a new operator is moving into the premises and the plan is for a gastro pub with live entertainment and real ales.

Paul and his wife Kathryn also own Losehill House Hotel in the Peak District.

Staff have been offered jobs at the new business or at Losehill.

Aiden Byrne will be speaking about his career and the Manchester restaurant scene at a BusinessDesk.Com lunch next week.

Tickets for the event can be booked here.

 

 

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