A trio of experienced hospitality hands have launched a new all-day restaurant in a residential Liverpool neighbourhood, on a hunch that there is a growing market beyond the city centre.
Named Solace, the venue is in Smithdown, a student and residential area to the south of the city – non-Scousers will recognise the address from its most famous street, Penny Lane.
The restaurant offers breakfast, brunch and coffee under the ‘Solace at Sunrise’ banner from 9am, the focus switching at 4pm to ‘Solace After Dark’, with modern European small plates, cocktails and wine until late (midnight Thursday-Saturday).
Founders Mark Lavelle (chef), Tasha Hough (operations) and Eugen Raka (FoH) are all from south Liverpool, and have a combined 55 years’ experience on the Merseyside food scene.
Eugen says: “Restaurants are facing a difficult time at the moment. In the city centre, rents are high, suppliers charge more, and even getting into town can be difficult for guests due to parking.
“We sat down together, bounced ideas around and realised that residential areas were the way forward. A lot of people our age don’t necessarily want to go into town anymore.”
The name reflects the founders’ belief that good hospitality can provide a refuge of sorts to guests who are going through difficult times.
Tash says: “Solace means finding comfort and peace in something. We want to create a place where, when people walk through the doors, they leave feeling a little bit better.”
For Eugen, the solace is personal. “I lost my father earlier this year, and it really lit a fire in my belly. I want to make him proud, as well as my mum and the rest of my family.”
If the trio are correct in their hunch and Solace proves to be a hit, they say they will look at expanding into north Liverpool in the future.
