A step in the right direction

A step in the right direction

The current round of investment at Kelly’s complex on the north coast is complete with the opening of The Pizza Library, a 56-seater family restaurant with an authentic Italian style…

The doors have only just opened on latest restaurant concept at the iconic Kelly’s entertainment and holiday complex on the north coast.

And as readers will be able to see from our photos, the new Pizza Library is a comfortable and contemporary addition to the region’s burgeoning hospitality offering and certain to be welcomed by the family-orientated and holiday audiences that it’s designed to serve.

Together with the popular Deerstalker Bar and Bistro next door, Kelly’s now has a capacity of around 120 family covers, which puts it in a position to compete comfortably with the growing array of quality restaurants in the area, all of which are helping to drive up standards and expectation among consumers.

“What we were really keen to do was to create a relaxed, casual environment with an authentic Italian feel in which families, local people and holidaymakers can enjoy great food and a really warm, friendly environment,” owner, Peter Wislon told LCN this month.

Peter (48), and his wife Judith are responsible for the new restaurant and the rest of the complex, which includes the well-established Deerstalker Bar and Bistro, the plush new Stubborn Stag bar and the 18-bedroom Golf Links Hotel as well as the adjacent Golf Links holiday park.

 

Our picture above shows The Pizza Library manager, Sam Kennedy.

Built on the site of the former Study Bar, The Pizza Library offers a varied menu in which all the dishes are named after famous books, plays or films.

The planning for the new venue began last summer and contractors were on-site for three months to complete the project. Among the innovations at The Pizza Library is an authentic Italian wood-fired oven which was sourced to Peter’s specifications.

“We know that pizza is a popular choice for all ages and a real treat for most families, especially those with kids,” says Peter. “But we were also conscious of the need to set our venue apart and offer something that would set us aside as a food destination. Our new wood-fired oven is part of that and we are offering pizzas made from genuine Neapolitan dough at affordable prices in these lovely surroundings. We think people are going to love it.”

Peter believes that the authenticity of the offering at The Pizza Library and the easy availability of hundreds of adjacent car parking spaces will mean that people will be happy to travel to the venue.

Future additions to the offering at the restaurant will include an outdoor kitchen with an authentic Argentinian BBQ experience and a ‘create your own pizza’ option for younger customers.

“My uncle James’s legacy was to create somewhere that people of all ages could come to be together and have fun,” says Peter. “It is my ambition to see that aim fulfilled here on this great site at Portrush and I think the new Pizza Library restaurant is another solid step in the right direction.”

the new Italian wood-fired oven at The Pizza Library.