Restaurants We Have Lost

I took a walk into town earlier today and decided to take a different route. Living in Hoole enables you to vary the ‘amble in’ depending on what part of town you are aiming for. Anyway, this morning I walked in via Newtown. En route of course I passed Pacino’s Restaurant. What a top drawer Italian restaurant that is. I won’t claim to be a regular but whenever I have been there, the food and the service has been excellent. I am a big fan of Italian food anyway, so Pacino’s ticks all the boxes for me. But how many years have Pacino’s been there? Many, many years. I’ll have to find out exactly how long. This made me think of the many restaurants that were around many years ago. In particular it made me think of the restaurants we have lost over the years.

Restaurants We Have Lost

Restaurants We Have Lost-Donato’s – Brook Street, Chester

Where do you start exactly? This is not going to an exhaustive list. More like a list of those I remember and frequented myself. Having mentioned Pacino’s and my liking for Italian food, the first I will mention is Donato’s. After that I will mention Donato and Sandro. The latter was the same Donato who partnered up with Sandro.

While it was Donato’s only, the restaurant was located in Brook Street, about half way down on the left if you entered Brook Street from Station Road. Talk about basic surroundings. I think it only had about six tables and each table was covered in the old plastic, green and white chequered table cloths. You could see the maestro himself (Donato) in action, creating his magic in the open kitchen.

Donato’s wife, Geraldine, took the orders and not only that, she “entertained” the punters with her rendition of Celine Dion’s, “My Heart Will Go On”. To those not into watching blubbery films, that’s the theme from the film Titanic. Was it a good rendition? Er…..the food was excellent!! Only kidding Geraldine, you knocked us ‘bandy’.

Donato and Sandro

Eventually the popularity of Donato’s food……and Geraldine’s singing….??? meant the existing premises were not big enough. So, a move was on the cards. Donato wasn’t too keen at the outset because he liked to interact with his customers. He could do this ideally from his existing location, but could he from the new location? He wasn’t too sure. More often or not Donato used to join us in a glass of wine (no bar, so everyone took their own). Great banter and a great atmosphere.

Anyway, move they did. But not far. They moved to the bottom of Hoole Bridge (where Deva Tap is now). Previously, the location was another restaurant, Zorba’s. That was good. But when Donato moved there it really took off.

To ensure Donato could keep in contact with his customers, a screen was set up at the end of the restaurant. Over by where the bar is now at Deva Tap.

New premises also resulted in a new business structure set up. Donato’s became Donato and Sandro as Donato partnered with another Italian restaurateur, Sandro. As good as the original premises were the move to the end of Brook Street and the link up with Sandro elevated the eaterie to another level.

The whole set up was excellent. It very quickly became our favourite ‘go to’ restaurant.

Sad News

Upon returning home after our Cyprus wedding in 2006, we headed off to D&S for a welcome home meal. While we were away, Donato had returned home to Italy for a holiday of his own. We were so looking forward to exchanging holiday stories, but instead we were greeted with the tragic news that sadly Donato suddenly passed away while on holiday.

Sandro Goes Solo

Sandro kept the restaurant open for some 6 years or so after Donato’s passing. It remained our favourite ‘go to’ eating establishment. We often bump into Sandro and we jokingly tease him with an opening, “we’ve still not forgiven you” in reference to his decision to sell up about 6 years ago.

It was indeed a top drawer restaurant in its original, six tables, green and white plastic table cloths format and in its later, more sophisticated surroundings. It was run by two excellent guys who knew how to run a restaurant properly. Not only that they both had the charisma to engage with the punters.

It is probably the main reason we didn’t go as often to the excellent Pacino’s. It was so hard to prise ourselves away from D&S.

Thanks for the memories – Donato, Sandro, Alex (Sandro’s stepson) and Celine Dion…..er, I mean Geraldine. So many great times.

Other Restaurants We Have Lost

As I said at the start of this article, this will be about restaurants we have lost. Rather than add to a list here I will discuss others in subsequent posts. Just off the top of my head I can think of a fair few that spring to mind. Jade Chinese restaurant on Watergate Street Row, Deep Pan Pizza on the Greyhound Park, Winstons the pizza place by Top Rank Bingo, Great American Disaster – Lower Bridge Street, Fatty Arbuckles in Frodsham Street are just a few to discuss in future posts.

Watch this space for more posts on restaurants we have lost. In the meantime, enjoy your meals out if you are planning to go out this weekend.

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Things To Do In Chester

As well as some pretty good eating establishments, there are plenty of things to do in Chester. For more information and some ideas take a look HERE.