Manchester restaurant District hailed by Michelin Guide to close and re-open as a bar due to 'extreme economical pain'

District, the Thai-inspired barbecue restaurant celebrated by the Michelin Guide for its high-end menu, is to turn from a restaurant into a bar, scaling back its food offering to a snack menu. It cited ‘extreme economical pain’ as the reason for the change in direction.

The Oldham Street spot, which wore its sci-fi influences on its sleeve from the menu listings to the loud, synth-pop soundtrack bouncing around the tiled walls, let customers know about the imminent changes in an email sent out last night, in its own quirky manner.

“Recent events have taken their toll and we are facing extreme economical pain,” the email read. “A final coming together of the off-world vigilantes to overthrow the tyrannical rule is the only route to survival.”

The restaurant, run by chef Ben Humphreys, had not long revamped its menu, moving its focus from a full tasting experience to separate dishes. Humphreys will still be on board, curating the drinks, the bar's soundtrack and the scaled-back snack menu.

But it will be much-changed following its last service on October 1, after which it will close for a month and re-open in November. Owner Danny Collins told the Manchester Evening News: “There must only be a small handful of restaurants in Manchester breaking even right now. The price cap on electricity and gas is a start but it’s just not enough.

“The cost of ingredients has gone through the roof and there is only so much we can charge for a meal before people stop coming in. Especially when you already have a bit of a reputation for being expensive. Electricity renewal before the recently announced price cap was 10 times what it was. Cost of ingredients since opening have risen 4x.

“It’s just not feasible for restaurants to take on