The new all day upmarket brasserie will be on Water Street
Liverpool Council have approved plans submitted by upmarket bar and restaurant group Troia, to open a Liverpool branch of The Ivy. The newest offshoot of the famous London celebrity haunt will take over the grade two-listed former Bank of Liverpool and Il Palazzo office building on Water Street.
Cocktails, light bites or more hearty meals, in a friendly environment ‘for those looking for a more informal yet still stylish experience'
The 15,300 sq ft building, which has been empty since 2017, was formerly a branch of NatWest bank and has more recently been used as serviced offices. Plans reveal that the ground floor of the Palazzo building is to be converted into a restaurant and dining room with a central bar. Pumphouse Designs is responsible for the layout, which is expected to be in line with others in the group which feature an abundance of indoor greenery, plush patterned upholstery and instagrammable ladies’ loos.
Although the famous high-end London institution remains a one off, there are now 33 glamorously casual offshoots scattered around the country including Manchester (reviewed here) and Leeds (reviewed here.)
The Ivy Collection includes Ivy Grills, Brasseries and Ivy Cafés, many located in smart London suburbs such as St John’s Wood and Wimbledon. All offer extensive all-day dining featuring modern British dishes and cocktails that nod to their Ivy heritage in a ‘sophisticated yet approachable, casual yet polished’ atmosphere.
Ivy Cafés also offer accessible all-day dining, with no reservation needed. They serve cream teas as well as cocktails, light bites or more hearty meals, in a friendly environment ‘for those looking for a more informal yet still stylish experience.’
The luxury restaurant group has as yet offered no clues as to whether Liverpool can expect an Ivy Grill & Brasserie or an Ivy Café.
All branches of The Ivy closed in March in line with Government guidance and they have yet to reopen. The consent for internal alterations follows a previous application by leisure operator Aqua Commercial, approved in 2017, to change the use of the ground floor of the building into a restaurant.
Pegasus is coordinating the plans for The Ivy project, which were proposed last autumn but got the green light earlier this week, though it is unclear how the coronavirus crisis will affect progress and the anticipated opening date has not been disclosed.
