An opening date has been disclosed for a fresh new fine-dining restaurant and cocktail bar at a former pub in Northampton.
This Wednesday (June 19), a new fine-dining establishment, ‘Cartel’, will open its doors at the site of the former Old White Hart tavern in Far Cotton.
The Ali family, who have 30 years experience in the restaurant industry, have renovated the building in Cotton End over the past six months in preparation for the grand opening at 6.30pm.
Cartel’s 26-year-old owner, Simran Ali, stated: “It’s been an enormous journey for us. We’ve completely renovated the structure. From the days it was the Old White Hart, it has changed. For us, the renovation process has been extremely involved. To create it something unique for Northampton, we’ve invested a great deal of time, energy, and work into it.
“We’re quite emotional. It’s been a long road. It’s not been easy. It’ll be emotional to see the doors open.”
Cartel’s owners claim that it will provide a distinctive fine-dining experience. “This restaurant offers a fusion fine-dining experience,” Simran declared. We’ve owned Indian restaurants in the past, so this one is a little different. It’s merely the latest trend, in my opinion. Everyone can find something of interest here.”
When questioned about their strategy for drawing patrons into the theatre, Simran responded, “We’ve done something completely different with it.” It’s been referred to as a pub forever. For Northampton, a shift is long overdue. Indeed, the structure has seen difficult times, but we are optimistic that something novel and untried will draw visitors in.
Simran expressed excitement over the event, saying, “We hope people are as excited as we are. We like to refer to this as Northampton’s “new social frenzy.”
Sadly, the White Hart permanently closed its doors in March 2023 “due to increases in running costs of the venue.”
