A Liverpool venue that was once “rotten with damp” is now receiving 'excellent' reviews, two years after being transformed by two local businesswomen.
The historic Wavertree Town Hall recently celebrated its 150th anniversary - and its second birthday as a newly refurbished restaurant after being saved from despair. The Grade II listed building is where George Harrison’s birth was registered and The Beatles once played as The Quarrymen.
The building fell into disrepair in the early 1970s before being turned into a bar and function space. It changed ownership several times but then sat empty for more than two years. Former Gusto Albert Dock manager Lisa Dixon and her business partner Natalie Doughty took over the space in 2019 and transformed it into a thriving restaurant and bar, which opened in August 2020.
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The two decided to save the building after learning more about its history and falling in love with it. They fought off competition from property developers and went to work restoring it to its former glory.
Despite facing setbacks due to the coronavirus pandemic and Natalie battling with cancer during the process, the two managed to launch the intimate 60-seater restaurant, bar and function space. Now, two years on, the venue is receiving rave reviews on TripAdvisor.
Recent reviews have labelled the restaurant “brilliant” and “excellent”. Many praised the staff and service, as well as “amazing” food.
Lisa said: “Natalie and I are good friends and have years of experience in hospitality between us but we must’ve been mad to take on this project. The building was rotten with damp and there were holes in the floor and ceiling — you could even see through holes down into the cellar. A massive refurbishment was required but when I look at the venue now I’m so pleased we took it on.”
Natalie added: “Lisa and I are very passionate about this building, its heritage and the local community here in Wavertree — that’s why we’ve kept its name as Wavertree Town Hall. We worked hard to fight off developers and the whole project has been very challenging, especially with me going through a cancer battle, but our shared passion has carried us through.”
The venue’s menu features a range of small plates as well as Sunday roasts and afternoon tea, with live music and cocktails The venue is a popular choice for private hire and weddings too.
Natalie added: “Lisa and I are extremely proud to have saved this building. We fell in love with it and made it our mission to restore it to its former glory and do John Elliot Reeve proud. When you think about all the memories here, the likes of The Beatles playing, people’s births and marriages being registered here, it’s been an honour to bring it back to life.”
Wavertree Town Hall is based at 89 High Street, Wavertree, L15 8HF. For more information, visit the restaurant’s website .
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