Hollywood patio legend The Cat & Fiddle has been gone for almost two years now, the result of a lease deal gone bad that allowed new tenants to take over. But fear not! There’s life yet in the Cat & Fiddle name, as the family behind the long-running restaurant has followed through on their promise to reopen, one day, nearby.

Turns out that day could be as soon as this winter, as the family has secured the rights to yet another famous Hollywood property: Susan Feniger’s Mud Hen Tavern. That space was only vacated last month, but terms of a new deal have apparently been reached to reopen as soon as February, while flying the Cat & Fiddle flag.

An email in to the folks behind Cat & Fiddle confirm the move, saying the ink is dry and the deal is set. That’s good news for reminiscent drinkers eager to take to the former Mud Hen Tavern patio for a chance to be charmed again by all that Cat & Fiddle had to offer. It’s also good news for the neighborhood in general, as the booming Mozzaplex and Trois Mec/Petit Trois anchors continue to create a dining mini-mecca, bolstered up the street by Salt’s Cure and incoming ceviche specialist La Carmencita.

As for the old Cat & Fiddle space, it’s still currently a shell of its former glory, with construction crews on site working long hours to bring a new sense of life to the place. The rebirth there will ultimately come from a pair of New Yorkers, April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman, who have quietly begun announcing plans for a Middle Eastern restaurant on the property. They’re looking to keep the charming outdoor feel, but will add a full bar and, allegedly, food from chef Chad Colby.

For anyone missing Susan Feniger’s cooking at the old Mud Hen space, know that she’s now doing big things with the Huntington Library across town. And for everyone else who just can’t wait to get back to the business of drinking with a little help from the Cat & Fiddle crew, you won’t have to wait but a few more months for your dream to be realized.

Cat & Fiddle

742 N. Highland Ave.

Los Angeles, CA