THE owner of a trendy bar has bought one of Knutsford's finest restaurants.

Living Ventures - the Knutsford-based business behind The Living Room - has paid £16.4million for the Est Est Est chain.

On Monday chief executive Tim Bacon said that the Italian restaurant would keep its name.

"It will be nice to have a restaurant in our own town," he said.

Est Est Est will be refurbished in about three months after the restaurant in Alderley Edge.

It will close for a month while it is modernised before work starts on the Didsbury restaurant.

Mr Bacon was due to meet staff in Knutsford yesterday (Tuesday) to reassure them that their jobs are safe.

Menu

"The restaurant hasn't had any money spent on it for quite some time," he said.

"We just want to update it and move it forward."

The Italian restaurant has been in Knutsford for more than 10 years.

It remains one of the most prominent and striking frontages in King Street.

Meals are set to change, though, with more fresh food to appear on the menu.

Living Ventures has also sold 40% of its shares to the Restaurant Group, former owners of Est Est Est, for £7.7million.

Footballers and celebrities have found a haven in the relaxed Living Room bars in Manchester, Liverpool and Chester.

It is making its debut in the south this year with venues opening in Oxford and two in London.

Tasmanian-born Mr Bacon, a former Australian soap star, said the deal would temporarily halt expansion of the Toft Hall-based company.

"We have more than doubled in size, from 15 to 34, so we have expanded enough for the time being," he said.