With exactly a month to go, North Wales restaurant business Dylan’s has announced that its latest restaurant in Llandudno will open to the public on the 25th May.
The refurbishment of the Grade II listed Washington hotel is nearing completion and will soon open as a 250 seat restaurant, over two floors and terraces, with a cocktail bar located under the building’s iconic dome. This will be the third Dylan’s waterside seafood restaurant along the North Wales coast.
The Dylan’s success story started on Anglesey when the company opened its first restaurant in Menai Bridge in 2012. Dylan’s Criccieth, located at Portmeirion architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis’s Morannedd building, opened in May 2015. Between them, the two existing restaurants served in excess of 250,000 diners in 2016.
The business also has a central production unit in Llangefni where it is rapidly expanding its range of retail food products now being sold in speciality food stores across the UK.
The company’s underlying vision is to help to create a strong sense of identity and place through food for North Wales with a strong focus on locally and sustainably caught seafood sourced directly from local fishermen.
“Our expansion into Llandudno will help us extend our destination dining experience further along the North Wales coast,” says director, David Evans. “The town is most definitely on the up, with visitor numbers increasing year on year. We’re very proud to be playing our part in this rejuvenation.
“We’ve already had a huge number of enquiries from people wanting to be among the first to dine with us.Now that the building is almost finished, we’re pleased to announce that the restaurant will be open to the public from Thursday 25th of May and we’re in a position to start taking bookings from today.”
Dylan’s acquired the Washington last November, and have since carried out extensive restoration both inside and out. The landmark building was designed by renowned local architect Arthur Hewitt and built in 1925 to replace the previous hotel which burnt down. It was most recently a nightclub, but has been closed since 2012.
David adds: “This is a very special building and many people have fond memories of the place. We have restored it sympathetically and in keeping with its period and location – just as we did with art deco style Morannedd building in Criccieth.
“During the project, we’ve stumbled upon a number of stunning original features, such as ornate wooden panelling hidden behind an acoustic separation wall complete with, a beautiful arts and crafts fireplace, intricate cornicing and coving and terrazo floor in the circular entrance vestibule.
“As we bring the Washington back to life, these features allow us to pay homage to its varied and interesting history.”
