A DICKY BIRD in the Liverpool hospitality business once said there was a little bit of trepidation surrounding the spectacular ground floor of 62 Castle Street.
Quite why is a mystery: it’s not like Jack Nicholson is about to come chopping through the toilet doors doing a "Here's Johnny".
Yet the space remains one of the grandest in Liverpool. Doric columns, high ceilings, ornate friezes, massive windows and top location make the Grade II listed former banking hall a Grade I prospect for an ambitious restaurateur or bar owner.
Down the years, both Room and What’s Cooking have attempted to make a go of it.
But here comes a game changer: Manchester heavyweight bar-restaurant Neighbourhood is swishing in. It is promising something completely different - and the first images of how it will look are revealed today.
How the new Neighbourhood at 62 Castle Street will look
Colours are warm, verging on the vibrant, furnishings plush, the statement bar area is traditional Manhattan chic. Chandeliers and lighting have a radical twist, taking full advantage of the height. It's a look a million miles from the Brideshead Revisited style room which, on a chilly Mersey afternoon,had the nesh punter dreaming of hot water bottle
This week work has begun on the site of what is being billed as Neighbourhood's flagship venue, ahead of its launch on November 7.
“Now is a very exciting time in our journey,” said James Hitchen, owner and founder of the New-York inspired East Coast Concepts which already runs Neighbourhood in Manchester’s Spinningfields and Victors in the Manchester suburb of Hale.
“Since opening in November 2013 Neighbourhood has been central to the explosion of the restaurant and bar scene in Manchester and we’re excited to be building on this with our Liverpool opening."
“We’ve spent a lot of time here, looking at what’s already on offer and finding some gaps in the market."
Neighbourhood is a vibrant all-day dining destination. By weekday, a corporate social hub specialising in sushi, seafood and steaks, By weekend a party hotspot Thursday through till Sunday.
“This will be our new flagship site, and we’ll be doing things here that we don’t in other venues," says Hitchen.
"We have a real focus on live music, and we’re looking to develop fresh talent on both the music side and in the bar and restaurant itself Thursday - Sunday.”
He added: “We re-launched Neighbourhood in Manchester earlier this summer following a refurbishment programme and the venue continues to go from strength to strength.”
The opening of Neighbourhood bar and restaurant in Liverpool will bring the company’s employee headcount over 200.
After winning a multi-million pound injection of development capital from NorthEdge earlier this year, East Coast Concepts says it has plans to expand both its Neighbourhood and Victors brands throughout the north of England. The growth strategy involves rolling out the two concepts in city centres and suburban locations across the UK. The group is on target to launch a further three venues in 2017 taking its operational unit count to six.
The team is taking bookings ahead of the launch in Liverpool later this year and has also launched its Christmas packages. To find out more, visit here.
