A popular Liverpool seafood pop-up is set to officially open its first stand-alone restaurant in the former Florist site on Hardman Street next month.

Following its debut at Duke Street Market in winter 2021, and its current street food residency in a striking blue shipping container at Royal Albert Dock, Barnacle Restaurant & Bar will hold a soft opening on the weekend of 27 September, ahead of the grand launch of its restaurant space and the entire ground floor in October.

Barnacle will be led by head chef Kieran Gill alongside Paul Askew, owner of The Art School Restaurant. They will be joined by Paul’s son, Harry, and the wider Art School team, who are aiming to bring “fresh gastronomic life” to the city centre site by working with “Merseyside’s finest artisans, farmers, and producers”.

Paul Askew is one of the UK’s leading chefs and a passionate voice for hospitality locally and nationally. Harry shares his father’s passion for hospitality, having been immersed in the industry from a young age.

Harry says: “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.”

Paul adds: “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.”

Barnacle is set to create around 40 jobs, providing a welcome boost to the city’s hospitality industry. Estrella Damm will be the venue’s principal brewer.

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