Walking through the doors of Manchester's historic Memorial Hall, a Grade II listed building in the heart of Albert Square, you would think you had stepped straight into a cosy village local.
Except this is a pub with a little bit more pizzazz.
The grand 155-year-old building is gearing up to open as The Fountain House from Thursday, November 11, as a new premium gastropub for the city centre.
Known previously as the Albert Square Chop House, London-based pub operator The Metropolitan Pub Company has taken over the site following its closure earlier this summer.
READ MORE: Legendary Chop House pub in Manchester closes
Rebranded as The Fountain House, the venue gives a nod to the stunning Victorian fountain opposite, designed by the same architect of the building Thomas Worthington.
The first phase of the pub development is located over three floors, nestled on the edge of Albert Square.
Meanwhile the top two floors, currently empty and derelict, are also to be given a full facelift with plans to transform them into a boutique hotel and rooftop bar, in time for the re-opening of the Town Hall by 2024.
It is set to provide a 'chic yet charming' pub atmosphere, and premium dining experience in the heart of the city.
The Manchester Evening News was given a sneak peek yesterday and published a live tour to our social pages. Watch here.
The lower ground floor provides diners with a 'premium restaurant' - complete with an extensive lunch, dinner and sharing menu with prices ranging upwards of £16, with owners saying it is already fast getting booked as we head towards the festive season.
Sales Manager Lawrence Hallows described it as 'the perfect place to get dressed up and look forward to a meal out'.
The ground floor has been fully transformed into a cosy pub setting - finished off with floral seats and golden mirrors.
An extensive range of pints and ales will be on offer, as well as a convenient bar snacks menu offering olives and bombay mix.
Bosses are hoping it will offer the perfect cosy spot for anyone wanting to pop in for a pint or a snack after work or a day of shopping.
Meanwhile the upper floor functions as a conference space, available to host bespoke, tailor-made events for up to 100 people.
The Fountain House is the first northern site for The Metropolitan Pub Company, who largely operate in London and across southern England.
The acquisition of the former Albert Square Chop House represents a bold step for the brand as they expand up north.
Yesterday, 40 members of new staff were sampling a range of dishes from the extensive menu including a fancy Corned Beef Hash and Hotpot.
Lawrence Hallows, Sales Manager at Metro Pub Co., was a former team member at the Chop House and has worked at the site since 2014.
He said: "The location of The Fountain House, right in the centre of Manchester’s business district and focal point of the Town Hall, tells you everything you need to know about its potential.
“Local city workers, tourists and premium weekend drinkers are all looking for a high quality space with an equally outstanding food and drink offering, and that’s what The Fountain House will provide.
"Our 40 staff members have been going through intense training the whole of last week and the beginning of this week ready for our big opening.
"This opening is phase one of the transformation. We are planning to convert the two empty top floors into a boutique hotel and even a rooftop bar - there are so many exciting plans.
"We are hoping to time phase two with the re-opening with the town hall.
"The new decor gives it a premium feel and we have incorporated a lot of different fabrics and textures.
"It felt quite stale and cold before - and we really wanted to transform it into a rustic pub and that atmosphere was important.
"Customers can expect hearty British meals, we are staying loyal to a typical pub menu but with a premium feel.
"We also knew we wanted to offer a range of choices for everyone, including vegan and vegetarian options."
The venue, which is already taking bookings for Christmas events and offering wedding bookings in their licensed top floor, offers a lunch and main menu, as well as pub bites and a sharing menu.
Full menu information is available at the Fountain House website.
When asked about the roadworks still ongoing outside, Lawrence said: "Of course, we would rather them not be there, but it will be much improved when it's finished.
"We are not worried about how they will impact business, people are already so familiar with this iconic building and we are already getting booked up for Christmas.
"They are going to pedestrianise the space which will mean in the coming months we can look at introducing outside seating too."
READ MORE: Restaurant boss in "Squid Game" despair at Town Hall roadworks
Despite the works, there is still full pedestrian access if you are walking from Cross Street down to the Albert Square district.
Michael Horan, managing director of Metropolitan Pub Company, added: “We are really excited to bring our first pub to Manchester.
"The Memorial Hall site is perfect, as it will allow us to team our premium gastropub experience to customers in the heart of the city.”
The Fountain House is recruiting 40 new team members and are also now taking Christmas bookings, although with limited availability.
It opens its doors from Thursday November 11 at midday.
