Stanley Dock prepare to open the doors to a new restaurant after £1.5m transformation
The new restaurant will soon open its doors
A Grade II-listed hydraulic pumphouse and accumulator tower is being transformed into a new restaurant. The owners of Liverpool’s Stanley Dock have today (October 5) announced the name of the new venue, which is scheduled to open this winter after a huge £1.5m transformation.
The restaurant, which will be named 1848 Stanley Dock in a nod to the date of the docks opening by Jesse Hartley, will become a 120-seater pizzeria. Operated by Titanic Hotel Liverpool and owned by Harcourt Developments, the 4,400 sqft restaurant will bring a new dining destination to the waterfront.
Stanley Dock’s new dining option is planned to combine the character of the original Victorian pumphouse with a contemporary design.
The pizzeria will have a front and centre a glass-walled extension with 18.5ft tall ceilings overlooking the views of the dock, with glazed doors opening to a waterfront dining terrace.
Elements of old and new will be brought together with a 23ft high atrium connecting the glazed extension with the original brick boiler room, which will host a central space for dining and a cocktail bar.
A new galleried mezzanine will provide further seating, with feature brick walls on lower levels below a more intimate and private dining experience in the space above.
Titanic Hotel Liverpool’s general manager, Brian Connor, said: “1848 is an exciting addition to Stanley Dock and provides a opportunity to give another one of the site’s historic buildings a new lease of life.
“The venue has such a distinctive character, and as with Titanic Hotel, retaining its original features while creating a contemporary space has been a key priority throughout the redevelopment.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming guests to 1848 Stanley Dock later this year, and introducing a new dining experience to Liverpool.”
While Stanley Dock originally opened in 1848, the Victorian pumphouse joined it seven years later in 1855, which housed the hydraulic pumping systems that powered the dock gates, capstans, cargo cranes and tobacco presses across both the North and South warehouses for decades.
Stanley Dock closed for business in 1985 as a result of the sharp decline in Liverpool’s maritime trade, but after Harcourt Developments bought the site in 2010, the Dock has seen life breathed back into the seafront as the spot continues its development.
1848 makes up the latest stage of the ongoing £250 million regeneration of the area and will be open for business later this year.
