OUT in Altrincham, new bar and restaurant offerings, buoyed by the success of the Altrincham Market House, are gaining pace. The likes of the brilliant Sugo Pasta Kitchen and the soon-to-open Le Bistrot Pierre and Porta tapas bar have afforded the town some of the buzz seen in the likes of Chorlton and Didsbury.

We want everyone in the community to feel like they can enjoy themselves in a classy venue

Now new bar and ‘petit plat’ (we're guessing that's small plates) offering Aurous 79 is ready to join the burgeoning Alty line-up on Ashley Road. Though you'll find this particular venue is far removed from the Belgian beer houses and wood-fired pizza ovens the town has steadily become known for.

Inside, you'll find 'we all dream in gold' calligraphed on the walls, alongside motivational quotes such as ‘True happiness is to enjoy the present without anxious dependence on the future'. Gold is the pervading theme at Aurous – both in body and mind-set. In fact, the name Aurous means ‘containing gold’ and boy have they swathed themselves in it.

Upstairs you'll find the 'Midas Lounge' which leads out onto a small terrace, with all the silky sexiness you’d expect from an R&B video. Gold illuminating lanterns dangle from the ceiling, gold chains hang from a blacked-out corner, while a glowing feature wall beams over a black velvet chez-lounge. Downstairs, it's all about the milky creams and warm lighting, while the outdoor dining area, with in-built booth heaters, allows guests to engulf themselves in the fruity haze of shisha smoke.

It's like Alty's very own slice of the Arab Emirates.

Aurous 79Aurous 79

Aurous 79 is an aspirational bar, aiming to resemble the ‘exquisite lounges in the city of Los Angeles and the rooftop terrace bars in Dubai’. Though, in a leafy satelitte town more known for its charming family homes than its shisha lounges, does this opulent space run the risk of alienating some Altrincham residents who might find the whole thing, well, a touch overbearing?

“We definitely don’t want people to think this place is inaccessible,” says 29-year-old co-owner, Wayne Welbeck. “You should be able to come here for a drink after work, enjoy the shisha or watch the football outside on the terrace. We have a late license at the weekend, where we'll encourage more of a party atmosphere. But overall we want everyone in the community to feel like they can enjoy themselves in a classy venue".

Originally from Longsight, this is Welbeck’s first hospitality business alongside partner Gbolahan Adarabioyo. By day he is a football agent and yes brother to that other Welbeck. He’s charming, friendly and has an unwavering sense of optimism for his new business – hence all the positive quotes on the walls. 

“This space has been a club, a burger joint, but none of them worked. With restaurants like Victor's up the road in Hale we thought bringing a more stylish bar venue would be the smart way to go,” says Welbeck.

On the ‘petit plats’ menu you'll find teriyaki salmon, teriyaki steaks and sliders: very LA. And whilst the shisha terrace doesn't quite bring to mind the dusty sand dunes of Dubai, it is a neat terrace for supping British summertime cocktails.

The mood here is far more cool and laid-back than pretentious. The staff are knowledgeable, chatty and courteous, even the shisha guy acts like a shisha sommelier, informing you of good smoking etiquette.

And what's wrong with catering for the flash crowd? We should all be free to get dressed up and dance on the tables in Louboutins once in awhile, shouldn't we?

Aurous 79, 21 Ashley Road, Altrincham, WA14 2DP.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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