A swanky new Italian restaurant is opening inside the huge new flagship Flannels store in Liverpool city centre.
Based on Parker Street, just opposite Clayton Square, is Bacino which aims to offer a "bold new Italian concept in modern, luxury space". The restaurant is based inside the Owen Owen Building, previously occupied by a Tesco Metro store, but the space has been completely revamped to house the new Flannels.
Its recent history as a supermarket has been wiped clean by cool concrete walls, pops of pastel colours, exposed pipe work, sleek lighting and more. Bacino, a pink and sage green haven, offers an all day menu with brunch classics served up alongside Italian favourites like pizza, pasta and more. There'll also be aperitivo, cocktails, coffees and desserts for guests to choose from.
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Based on the ground floor of Flannels, Bacino is a compact restaurant that exudes opulence while still offering a relaxed atmosphere. The immaculate décor evokes a Wes Anderson feel with pops of varying pink hues and a medley of textures like marble, wood and velvet.
There's an open kitchen where food fans can watch their food being prepared from the comfort of plush, deep blue, tub barstools that are reminiscent of mid-century design, with a trendy bar that compliments the setting in a glossy, pastel blue shade. It's finished with an opulent marble counter.
The beautiful interior was curated by designers from Youth Studio. Ollie Collinge, director at Youth, said: "Bacino is a modern Italian trattoria that takes diners on a visual feast for all the senses.
"Heavily inspired by the vintage interiors of the 70s, the space's materiality and architecture allude to the period's vibrancy with rich marble tones, oversized bucket armchairs and curvature throughout. The confidence and exuberance of the space is designed to embrace the spirit of Bacino."
Flannels, Bacino and its other in-house venues will be created and operated by Zanna Hospitality Group, the brand behind some of the North West's most loved restaurants including Evelyn's Café Bar, Gooey, Mughli Charcoal Pit, Les Deux Pizza Bar, Arlo's, The Daisy and a number of Flannels' most recent dining venues, Sienna Kitchen and Bar in Sheffield and Café Clo in Leicester.
Of Bacino, Zanna creative director Ben Grainger said: "We aim for something that's playful and accessible while still feeling luxury and elevated. I think that comes across in the service - we take food and drink really seriously."
Molly Dolan, business development manager, said: "It's a real blend of textures, which is beautiful. We have a combination of communal seating areas then we've got tables that are slightly more intimate, which is interesting because it feels so delicate and pretty but then we have these really strong, tub chairs. I just love them.
"We still want you to have a sense of place but feel like it's somewhere you can come for brunch, or on your way to work, or going shopping with your partner or your mum - we want it to be somewhere you can come at any point in your day." She added: "It's a dream place to work."
The food on offer aims to be just as impressive as the décor. Molly continued: "Everything is as local as can be, it's fresh, it's seasonal and we work with the best suppliers. The pizzas are truly Neapolitan style so they're quite fluffy - the dough is proved for 24 hours and then it's cooked for two minutes and it's a stone baked oven.
"We also have a lovely, extensive wine list that's carefully curated. We aim to offer service that is high end yet still feels casual and comfy."
Bacino will open on Thursday, June 23 at 10am. It's open 10am - 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am - 7pm on Saturdays and 11am - 5pm on Sundays. Flannels will also open tomorrow at 10am.
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