Boutique bar and restaurant to open in Halifax

Bar operator Alibi has signed the lease on Somerset House, and is set to open on the site of the former Le Metro restaurant on Rawson Street in the summer.

The Alibi brand was first established in Bradford back in 2016 with the opening a boutique bar within the city’s underground Sunbridgewells complex, which subsequently closed in September last year. 

Wayne Heseltine, Alibi’s co-director says Halifax is an excellent location for Alibi to rollout the format it honed in Bradford.

“The grandeur and opulence of Somerset House struck us the moment we viewed it and we will be showcasing many of the original interior features in the design brief our architects have applied,” he says.

“Alibi are bringing to Halifax a wealth of knowledge and experience in the leisure industry and chose Somerset House from a range of options,” adds Michelle Dobson of Walker Singleton, the commercial property agents who acted for the landlord.

“Halifax has a burgeoning dining and drinking sector helped by the draw of The Piece Hall, the successful launch of several independent bars and restaurants and many established traditional pubs in the town.

“Only 12 months ago an article in The Daily Telegraph flagged Halifax as the Shoreditch of the North due to its thriving markets, bars and restaurants – I would argue Shoreditch is actually the Halifax of the South.”