Opening date for first Ivy restaurant in Liverpool is revealed as a giant vault is placed in the city centre offering prizes to locals to celebrate the announcement. Tony McDonough reports
Reservations are now live for The Ivy Brasserie restaurant in Liverpool as the opening date is revealed.
Located in the former Bank of England building in Castle Street, The Ivy Brasserie will see the famous brand, long associated with rich and famous diners, appear in Liverpool for the first time.
Doors will open for the first time on Tuesday, November 19. Last week LBN revealed the venue, being launched by The Ivy Collection, was aiming to be open in time for the lucrative festive season.
On Tuesday afternoon, to celebrate reservations going live, a giant vault was dropped into the middle of Liverpool city centre. Passers by in Church Street were invited to “crack the code” and get their hands on multiple prizes.
It was manned by The Ivy security guards who helped guests select their very own mystery prize from among hundreds, each hidden in an opulent gold envelope.
The Ivy Liverpool Brasserie will be home to a private dining room seating 14, while the main restaurant will have capacity to welcome more than 180 diners. It will offer breakfast, brunch and all day a la carte menus.
Once described as a “masterpiece of Victorian architecture” the Bank of England building in Castle Street was completed in 1848. It was designed by Charles Robert Cockerell and built in a neoclassical style.
Its features are influenced by a number of styles including Greek, Roman and Renaissance. It was Grade I-listed in 1952. The Bank of England left in 1987 and it was occupied by the TSB Bank for a few years in the 1990s.
In April 2015 it was occupied for almost two weeks by political activists, known as Love Activists, who turned it into an illegal homeless shelter. They were eventually evicted by the police. The building has remained empty ever since.
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Kate Keyes, The Ivy Liverpool Brasserie’s general manager, said: “It was amazing to welcome so many Liverpool residents to our very special Ivy Vault today where everyone came away with an exciting prize.
“We’ve been overwhelmed with the response so far and can’t wait to welcome the people of Liverpool at The Ivy Liverpool Brasserie this November.”