Riva restaurant on Gravesend’s historic pier set to reopen

3rd November 2009, 10:58am

Gravesend’s world-famous pier is set to reopen on the 7th November as its restaurant Riva opens its doors under new management.

The pier has been closed to the public since the spring when the previous tenants, Q Breweries, went into administration.

Culinary Solutions UK Ltd and the council announced that they signed a new lease in September and since then there has been a great deal of work done to prepare the end of the pier restaurant and bar for business once again.

Council leader Cllr Mike Snelling said: "It is great news that the public will once again have access to this historic pier which is so important to our regeneration in the heritage quarter and the High Street. We are sure that in the new owners we have found a tenant committed to high standards of excellence."

The Town Pier is the oldest cast iron pier in the world and was restored after the council bought it in 2000.

The restoration was assisted by grants from English Heritage, English Partnerships, and Heritage Lottery Fund via Conservation Area Partnership Scheme (CAPS), Kent County Council and The Manifold Trust.

The pier's restoration won the council the silver medal from The Queen's Golden Jubilee Green Apple Awards in 2002 and second place in the National Piers Society Annual Awards 2005.

Riva's bar opened on 10th February 2006 and the restaurant followed mid-2007.

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mark

03 November 2009 at 11:33pm

Let's hope it lasts longer than last time. It took years to open and only traded for a year or so. Also a lot of taxpayers money went into it from the council.

Joyce Bell

09 November 2009 at 8:52am

Lets have some positivity! The Riva was a great restaurant in a great location and I have missed it since it closed. If it is properly run there is no reason why it should not be a success. Eating out in Gravesend has come on in leaps and bounds in the last few years - as well as the Riva, the Rum Puncheon just down the road is a really nice put and serves brilliant food -not to mention The Meeting Place cafe just up the High Street which does great sandwiches and cakes. When I moved to Gravesend a few years ago I wouldn't have dreamt of eating out in the town centre but now there's plenty of choice. I can't wait to go back to the Riva!

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