This spring will see the first Liverpool Restaurant Week where multiple venues will tempt diners with special offers, organised and funded by Liverpool BID Company. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool BID Company will hold the first ‘Liverpool Restaurant Week’ over seven days this spring.

From April 22 to 28 multiple venues will participate in the week with special offers from £5 to £35 to tempt diners. This initiative is being funded by Liverpool BID Company which represents more than 800 levy-paying businesses across the city centre.

BID chief executive Bill Addy said he and his team had followed the success of restaurants in other cities, from New York to Newcastle.

That particular week has been chosen because it is sandwiched between the Aintree Grand National festival and the summer events programme and is traditionally quiet.

Liverpool’s hospitality sector has endured a tough period since emerging from the pandemic. Soaring energy costs and a cost-of-living crisis have put huge financial pressures on the sector and some businesses have not survived.

However, the city centre remains a UK hotspot for hospitality and the BID is keen that as many restaurants as possible get involved. They have until April 1 to submit their offers.

“We are delighted to be launching Liverpool Restaurant Week, with the city having a seven-day celebration of its wide variety of places to eat,” said Bill Addy.

“We have had a huge amount of enthusiasm so far and we are excited to see the response to our plans. Our ambition is for people to try something new and find a new venue to visit.

“We have followed restaurant weeks delivered in other cities, from New York to Newcastle, and they bring a lot of new diners and a welcome boost to the hospitality sector.

“We have many incredible restaurants across the city centre, so we are delighted for the spotlight to be thrown on them”.

A number of operators have already signed up to take part in the week. They include GSG Hospitality, which includes Nord and Bold Street Coffee among its brands. 

Matt Farrell from GSG added: “There’s been a lot of emphasis on quality in the Liverpool food scene recently and we have seen the city project itself well on the world stage with some fantastic events.

“Really excited to continue this narrative with another fantastic event and being able to showcase the city again in a positive culinary light.

“There’s a lot of exciting concepts and creative ideas in this great city and I am looking forward to the friendliest city becoming the foodiest for Liverpool restaurant week.”

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill Liverpool is another venue participating in Restaurant Week. It is located within Hotel Indigo.

The hotel’s Vicky Redhead said: “Being located within Hotel Indigo Liverpool on Chapel Street in the commercial district we are looking forward to getting people through our doors that wouldn’t normally have chosen to dine here.”

‘Sustainable’ steakhouse brand Gaucho opened up its first Liverpool restaurant in late 2022 in the Grade II-listed former home of the Bank of Liverpool in Water Street.

READ MORE: Why BIDs are now critical to city centre prosperity

General manager Dimitri Prassinos said: “We are proud to join the first Liverpool Restaurant Week. It mirrors our city’s lively food culture, and we’re excited to be a part of it. We are looking forward to sharing the Gaucho experience with everyone during this celebration.”

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