Ambitious plans for opulent £3m restaurant have been ditched

Ambitious plans for a £3m restaurant in a historic Manchester building have been ditched.

Panacea owner Joe Akka was planning to launch his latest venture Fable at the recently refurbished Manchester Hall.

The pan-Asian restaurant would have featured opulent interior designs and was due to open at the former Freemasons Hall next year.

Fable

It was also meant to be the launch of an international brand with branches planned for London, Europe and the Far East.

The building on Bridge Street is on the fringe of the Spinningfields district of the city centre.

Last week London restaurant chain Dishooom announced it is opening a restaurant in the building creating 100 jobs in the process.

Dishoom Manchester

The plan for Fable has been abandoned with Joe Akka blaming ‘insurmountable building challenges and persistent delays’.

The company is understood to be looking for a new venue in the city.

Meanwhile Akka’s firm will be launching a new restaurant in Ancoats later this year. The all-day neighbourhood eatery will be located in Cutting Room Square.

Joe Akka said: “Regretfully, we are no longer taking the Fable concept to Manchester Hall.

“The building has thrown up too many challenges, which have caused continued delays to the project.

“We have, therefore, decided to relocate the offer to a different location in the nearby area.

“We have looked into a number of alternative sites and will continue to do so until we are confident we have found a building that resonates with the theatrical nature of Fable’s concept.

“The essence of the brand is so visually unique, we have to ensure the dynamics of any building match the creative direction we are all so excited to take.”

An application for a licence had been lodged with the city council in April. The licence was to serve drinks until 6am from Monday to Sunday.

Manchester Hall has not made any comment.