Barnacle Restaurant & Bar set to open in Georgian Quarter this autumn

The Barnacle is opening its first stand-alone restaurant in the Georgian Quarter on Hardman Street this autumn.

Following on from its debut in Duke Street Market in winter 2021 and the current street food pop-up in the heart of the Albert Dock, this is the first time Barnacle will be a stand-alone restaurant, located in the city’s beautiful Georgian Quarter on Hardman Street. The bar and lobby will softly open on the weekend of 27th September followed by the grand opening of the restaurant space and the entire ground-floor in October.

The Grade II original School For The Blind instituted in 1791 and was the previous location for ‘The Florist’ and more recently, Hardman Studios have begun to operate on the upper floors. From autumn, Harry Askew from The Art School and his team are bringing fresh gastronomic life to the site, where the heart of Barnacle will beat the same; working with Merseyside’s finest local artisans, farmers and producers including Wards Fish, Almonds Fruit and Vegetables to the best rare breed meat from The Wirral and North Wales, Barnacle will tell the story of field to fork which is integral to the collective’s ethos. The restaurant and bar will reflect Liverpool’s storied history as a port city and the culinary inspirations which have found their way here over time. Working sustainably and curating menus to embody each seasonal change, whilst celebrating the produce available in the Liverpool city Region, will be led by head chef Kieran Gill and Paul Askew.

“We can’t wait to open our doors and show people our new home,” Harry Askew explains, who is the Restaurant Director for Barnacle Restaurant & Bar. “We really feel Barnacle has now found its true home in a unique building which offers several spaces to dine, drink and socialise in.”

The terrace looking onto Hardman Street will be the perfect place to savour a cocktail and watch the world go by. Entering Barnacle, the beautifully appointed lobby is flanked by the bar to the left and the restaurant to the right, with seating for casual drinks and snacks in the welcoming area. Stylistically the lobby is a mix of soothing gold, azure and tan hues, with open brickwork and hexagonal tiling. This theme is carried into the bar and restaurant; for diners there’s two-toned walls, maritime artwork and warm lighting, with rope detailing from the ceilings and story-telling details to be discovered. And in the bar the theme continues in a wonderful social space, with a zinc-topped counter at its centre and Barnacle’s array of wines, cocktails, spirits and draft beers ready to imbibe. There’s also a cosy snug hiding away in the corner for special guests and regulars. Throughout Barnacle artwork, floral installations and plants will further enhance each space.

Paul Askew is Chef Patron and owner of The Art School. He’s one of the UK’s leading chefs and a passionate voice for hospitality locally and nationally, with his decades-long experience helming kitchens around the world unrivalled. Harry shares his father’s passion for hospitality, having been immersed in the industry from a young age. It’s Captain Barnacle Bill – Paul’s dad and Harry’s granddad – from whom their inspirations originate.

Paul says:

“Our new home is a Grade-II listed building and originally part of The Old Blind School. It’s a historic place, part neo-classical and part art-deco, imbued by Victorian grandeur and with the Philharmonic Hall and Everyman Theatre as our neighbours. At Barnacle we offer something for everyone, from a quick drink to a full dining experience, to sharing a bottle of wine and catching up with friends, to popping in for flowers on the way home from work. Our bar is a wonderful, cosy space with the addition of what I like to call our secret snug which seats just twelve people. And back across the lobby, the main dining space is a joy; we’ve longed for an environment like this to serve lunch and dinner, and finally we have the perfect venue for the Barnacle Restaurant & Bar.”

“My dad was Captain Barnacle Bill Askew and he sailed the world on the Blue Star lines. His travels inspired me when I was young and along with my mother, they set me on my culinary path decades ago. I always think of barnacles on the hulls of the great ships which once sailed to and from Liverpool and how so much culinary knowledge and experience ended up here and helped shape the dynamic range of flavours, styles and secrets from countless far-flung locations. And we will proudly tell the story of the city’s food and cultural odyssey through its maritime history at Barnacle, this time from our very own restaurant.”

Harry concludes:

“We can finally realise our true vision for Barnacle, opening in a beautiful city-centre setting, which is completely our own space, where we’re curating our version of modern gastronomy. It’s the right time for us to open up this next chapter and bring Barnacle back to Liverpool, in true form, to be part of its thriving culinary scene.”