Fine-dining restaurant and Harbourside restaurant & bar hit the market in Bristol

Bells Diner in Bristol’s bohemian Montpelier quarter is available at a freehold of £400,000, while the Grange Barge, moored alongside the city’s Mardyke Quay in the Harbourside area, is being sold for £895,000.

Bells Diner​

Bells was previously run as a vegetarian restaurant and was bought under the management of Shirley Anne Bells when the reputation of modern French cuisine began to grow.

The current restaurant offers both a tasting and a la carte menu with an average spend of between £25 - £50. Valerie Turner of specialist property advisor Christie & Co believes there is an opportunity for a new owner to introduce a new concept.

“Bells Diner has a very good reputation in the Bristol area, well known for its food and dining experience,” said Turner. “This opportunity presents an ideal business prospect, whether the current format is continued or whether a new owner decides to change the concept and embrace the Bohemian area in which the restaurant is positioned.”

A new lease can be created for interested parties at a premium of £35,000 and a passing annual rent of £17,000 — although the leasehold option is exclusive of an upstairs apartment which is also available with the restaurant.

Grain Barge​

Meanwhile, the Grain Barge - one of Bristol’s most unusual venues – trades over three levels and has a capacity of 250.

The 30-metre former commercial cargo boat was refitted and refurbished into the Grain Barge in 2007. It has since increased its turnover and profitability year-on-year, generating almost £1m in 2012.

The barge is being sold by Bristol Beer Factory to allow the company to concentrate on its growing brewing business, as the group’s managing director Simon Bartlett explains: “The Grain Barge has played an important part in the success of the brewery.

“Now we have established a strong local and national reputation we have decided to consolidate our business with the development of our Ashton premises and brewing operation.”

Business development​

Turner of Christie & Co added: “Its excellent location and strong existing customer base make the Grain Barge a really popular and profitable business, benefiting from year-round trade.

“There is no doubt that the business could continue to thrive under new ownership - particularly a hands-on operator who could further develop the food and event elements of the business.”

More information on the two properties is available by calling Valerie Turner on 0117 946 8500.