ONE of the town’s best-loved restaurants has taken over its next-door neighbour.

The management team behind King Street eaterie The Belle Epoque has completed its capture of the Rose and Crown.

The site has been closed for refurbishment, but reopened its doors on Wednesday, March 20 in its new guise as the ‘Rose ‘n’ Crown Chophouse’.

Matthew Mooney, managing director of the Belle Epoque, said the new venue will remain a pub but offer an ‘enhanced food offering’.

“As the Belle Epoque is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, we thought it highly appropriate to launch a second site in Knutsford, the town we know and love so much,” he said.

“The Rose and Crown is already a popular pub – our job here is simply to enhance the food offer and refurbish the pub and hotel areas, inside and out.

“To be clear, the pub will remain a pub, offering a great selection of local cask ales, a new wine list and one or two nice surprises I hope customers will enjoy.

“We are incredibly excited about this new venture, and will make every effort to ensure it surpasses the expectation for Knutsford’s drinkers and diners.”

The owners have said the Chop House menu will consist of Great British food, presented to diners in a relaxed and comfortable environment.

For those requiring a place to stay, there will be 16 rooms on offer at The Rose and Crown.

The Rose and Crown reopened on March 20 and you can keep up to date with what’s going on via Facebook (The Rose ‘n’ Crown Chop House) and Twitter (@rcchophouse).