These new photos reveal The Vines beautiful restoration ahead of its reopening

Photos reveal the beautiful restoration of iconic Liverpool pub The Vines as it prepares to reopen within days.

New owner Rob Gutmann got the keys to the historic Lime Street pub, known to generations of Scousers as The Big House, in mid-February and pledged to bring it back to its Victorian best.

Now just six weeks later the interior has undergone a full renovation, uncovering and enhancing lots of precious original features and adding a few quirky touches.

Rob, whose other venues include The Red Lion on Slater Street and Green Man pub on Lark Lane, said he wanted to see The Vines come as close as possible to looking and feeling as it did in its early 20^th century Victorian/early Edwardian heyday when it first welcomed drinkers.

“There’s so much character that was just being hidden so it’s really been about taking stuff out and revealing that,” he says.

“I didn’t want to be putting lots of interesting things on the walls where there’s Victorian paneling, because it would be a crime to do that.”

Instead, Rob’s team have kept faithfully to the authentic template of a Victorian pub and gin palace. Huge open fireplaces have been brought back to life and lit again and intricately decorative ceiling mouldings have been carefully restored – there’s even a carved little devil up there, all freshly gilded and ready to watch over customers!

They also discovered the original 1907 terrazzo flooring underneath decades of laminate flooring, plywood, lino and carpet.

Even though almost everything is original, there have been a few trademark decorative pieces brought in too including an imposing stag’s head which now hangs on one wall and takes pride of place and new period chandeliers in what was once known as the billiards room.

Work on The Vines is now almost complete and Rob has revealed that it will be reopening from midday on Wednesday March 29, serving a big selection of cask ales, high end and rare whiskys and quality wines.