Carl Barât has announced plans to open his own cafe in Margate this summer.
The Libertines guitarist will join restauranteur Gizzi Erskine, musician Edie Langley and industry insider Ronnie Traynor in creating LOVE café, which is set to open its doors for the first time later this month.
The cafe is located a stone’s throw from The Libertines’ Albion Rooms HQ and hotel and situated in the upstairs area of Carl and Edie’s new live music venue, Justine’s, which opens in September.
Describing the cafe, Carl said he was “finally making good on a drunken promise to create the finest Bar Bistro in the world.
“For music and ideas, refreshment and inspiration to flourish. This will require an expert chef, a lover, an old friend, elbow grease, midnight oil, patience and unfathomable love.”
Gizzi added: “The Great British Sandwich has been overlooked and there is something magnificent about the recreation of something so simple, being made with flavour, imagination and humour. Really, the offering of LOVE café is based on the idea of a sandwich bar on steroids. We want LOVE cafe to take the classic Margate cafe and evolve it to where it needs to be in 2021.”
According to an official release, LOVE café will focus on on local, seasonal and sustainable food and a wide array range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Elsewhere, The Libertines were joined by Terry Hall during their gig in Coventry last weekend (August 1) to perform The Specials’ ‘Gangsters’.
The outdoor show took place as part of the Hall-curated ‘Home Sessions’ to celebrate Coventry being awarded the title as the UK’s City of Culture from 2021 to 2025.