VIDEO: THE latest bar/restaurant to open in Warrington’s booming Cultural Quarter is Vandal Bar & Kitchen, the concept of husband and wife team Jenny Arnott and Matt Carey.
Warrington Worldwide took the opportunity to check out the latest addition to the impressive Treasury building in Palmyra Square, which is now open and already becoming a popular destination.
Vandal Bar & Kitchen follows on from the couples successful Bold Street House bar, also based in the Cultural Quarter, which opened shortly before the first lockdown.
Taking up the story of the latest venture Jenny said: “After an amazing couple of years at Bold Street House we noticed that while there are some fabulous restaurants in Warrington, there still isn’t an awful lot of them and we decided there was definitely room for something a bit different. We had been on the hunt for a property around Palmyra Square for a while having made the decision we only wanted to open something on the Square.
“We didn’t want to pull customers away from the area as that obviously wouldn’t be helpful for Bold Street House and we love the customer base we get in the Cultural Quarter. We just knew it was the right location for us. This beautiful property had been empty for a while but we just had to wait for the previous tenant to leave before we could get our hands on it.
“We took over the lease in April and have been working on it since. Matt, my husband and formerly operations chef for the Loungers and Cosy Club brand is heading up the kitchen and Mike, the GM and part owner of Bold Street is heading up the front of house. Matt and I have always wanted a collection of trendy food and drink led businesses so it’s exciting to be able to get our second one open just 3 years after opening Bold Street House, especially given the lockdown challenges thrown at us in the first few years of trading.
“We opened our doors last Thursday for a soft opening and then Friday officially and it’s been a brilliant start. We have been busy and bookings are coming thick and fast. The feedback has been amazing and we are already seeing plenty of fabulous reviews on Tripadvisor and Dishcult.
“Our menu is based around sharing, with the focus on small plates and large sharing steaks however there is plenty of alternatives should you rather order and eat in the traditional way. Alongside lunch and dinner, we also serve brunch from 10am Friday – Sunday which is a new dining option for the Cultural Quarter.”
Video by Matt Demspey
