Three new restaurant and bar sites have been let at Mermaid Quay on Cardiff’s waterfront as part of an asset management programme designed to accommodate new operators.
National restaurant brands Côte and Las Iguanas as well as a new champagne bar called VIP Lounge have now been added to the list of over 20 restaurant and bar venues at the 150,000 sq ft location.
The Côte site – which will be the first to open in Wales – will open in Late November in a 3,747 sq ft unit. The Latin American restaurant Las Iguanas will occupy a 4,692 sq ft area. The VIP Lounge cocktail bar, which is to be operated by a local entrepreneur, will open in a 1,490 sq ft area just above Côte.
Côte already operates 15 restaurants mainly in the South East of England, and is due to open another two in the near future. The brand, which was named the Best Value Restaurant in the UK by the Good Food Guide, offers “a modern approach to French dishes”, such as Steak frites and moules marinieres.
Las Iguanas is one of over 22 sites in the group, which serve South American dishes, cocktails and tapas.
The new VIP Lounge will be the third site on Mermaid Quay to be operated by Margaret Studt, who already runs Demiro’s and Eddie’s Diner.
Changes at Mermaid Quay
The new lettings are said to be part of an ongoing asset management programme being implemented by Mermaid Quay’s owners Schroder Exempt Property Unit Trust and asset managers Sovereign Land.
This has included taking back leases to accommodate new operators and reconfiguring space to create new opportunities.
Marmaid Quay, a waterfront dining, shopping and leisure district, was first opened in 1999 and is owned by Schroder Exempt Property Unit Trust and managed by Sovereign Land.
The bay is surrounded by new offices and up-market residential properties. Other restaurants and bars operating on the bay include wagamama, Cosmo, Strda, Pizza Express and Café Rouge.