ONE of Manchester's oldest restaurants, Cafe Istanbul, is up for sale.
I've been in business almost forty years and I've had enough
The Bridge Street dining venue, which opened in 1980, has been providing Manchester with good quality, traditional Turkish food for over 35 years. Now, after almost four decades in the business, owner Sacit Onur is to retire.
"It's very early days," he told us, "I'm not in a rush. Who knows, it might take a year or more to find the right buyer.
"I've been in business almost forty years and I've had enough, but I've put the business up for sale tentatively and we'll see how it goes."
In the face of stiff competition, the established independent restaurant has been comprehensively refurbished in recent years. In 2012, it celebrated its 32nd birthday with the launch of a new 50-seat private area and dining room.
During the nineties Mr Onur also used to run late-night live music venue, La Gitane (where the Liar’s Club is now based). In late 2015 Onur relaunched La Gitane as an exclusive jazz club in the basement of Cafe Istanbul.
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Cafe Istanbul/La Gitane on Bridge StreetTaking into account its ideal city centre location, we expect this 120-cover restaurant with bar and basement area to be snapped up quickly. The surrounding area has long been a popular destination for restaurants, with the consistently popular San Carlo and Cichetti nearby, while plans are in for Soho seafood restaurant Randall & Aubin - opening its first venue outside London - to launch opposite in the former Rankin Styles furniture store.
Cafe Istanbul is now being marketed by Christie & Co. with leasehold offers of around £300,000 being sought.
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