The Cheshire Cheese Restaurant, an original Lonsdale Quay classic, is set to close for good next month.
The North Vancouver family restaurant with a distinct English pub vibe announced on its Instagram page today (Aug. 25) that its last day of service will be Sept. 18, 2022.
“Dear valued guests: We want to thank you for your support and patronage over the last 36 years!” reads a chalk sign written up on the restaurant’s daily specials board. The North Shore News confirmed with staff that they will be permanently closing Sept. 18.
"After 36 years, we're happy with where we're at," the restaurant's manager said, adding that management and ownership would not be commenting further on the closure. "We're expecting to be very busy over the next few weeks."
The Cheshire Cheese has the rare distinction of being one of the original Lonsdale Quay Market tenants still operating, opening in 1986. Since then, it has become a cozy and comfortable North Shore favourite, offering English staples such as Toad in the Hole and Yorkshire Pudding, among other flavours from around the world, along with drinks such as the Snakebite, Crown Float, or a good old pint of Guinness Irish Stout.
Chris Dagenais, the former restaurant reviewer for the North Shore News, stopped by in 2018 and “thoroughly enjoyed” a healthy serving of Steak and Kidney Pie.
“Cheshire Cheese’s Steak and Kidney Pie is not afraid of its eponymous offal, embracing its unique texture and distinctive taste to great advantage over competing pies, which often include only one or two pieces of kidney presumably to appeal to a broader audience,” he opined.
The restaurant is also known for hosting events such as Irish dancing on St. Patrick’s Day, and it also offers a truly world-class dining view from its patio.
Patrons looking to say their goodbyes have less than a month to stop by the Cheshire Cheese and toast the old favourite with a final plate of fish and chips and one last can of Old Speckled Hen.
