A beachfront restaurant overlooking Seaburn’s beach and the North Sea has officially opened following a £250,000 investment.
North, the latest venture by restaurateurs Ben Wall and Neil Bassett, has taken over the historic Bay Shelter on Seaburn’s Lower Promenade.
Having opened quietly just before Christmas, the seafood restaurant officially opened on January 4 with the menu featuring bouillabaisse with red bream, monkfish and mussels; fresh oysters; octopus with confit potato and piquillo pepper; and scallops with chorizo and black pudding alongside natural wines and craft beers.
Ben said: “We are delighted to finally be opening. Both Neil and I live and work in Sunderland, so we knew as soon as we saw the shelter hit the market that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
North is the latest hospitality venture launched by Ben and Neil following their success with award-winning venues Mexico 70 and The Ship Isis.
“The venue and the menu have been developed to nod to the city’s rich coastal heritage and we’re delighted with how it’s panned out,” added Ben. “Our vision is to create an all-day seafront restaurant, showcasing contemporary dining in a stunning but unstuffy and unpretentious environment, serving brunch in the afternoon and meals into the night.
“A number of new venues have opened up across Roker and Seaburn in recent years, helping establish the seaside as a destination in its own right, and we hope the opening of North will add to that and see an entirely new proposition introduced to its ever-growing offering.”
The regeneration of the Bay Shelter has been supported by the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund (CCF) which, alongside funding from Sunderland City Council, is helping breathe new life into a series of heritage buildings at Roker and Seaburn. Lease income generated from the buildings will also be used to support the Sunderland Seafront Trust, which operates the Roker Pier and Lighthouse tours and help it to broaden its activities.
