Sunderland city centre steak house set to reopen with new identity

The former Chop House above the historic Dun Cow pub has been closed since January after the former owner left the company. Now, after four months of closure, it’s set to reopen as The Grill Room. It will retain its focus on quality steaks and grills, while drinks will be provided by the extensive bar and its real ale selection downstairs. Paul Scott, who is general manager of The Dun Cow and its sister pub The Peacock, said: “The steak house was popular until it closed and the footfall was still there, which is why we decided to reopen the restaurant. “The focus will be on high quality steaks and grilled dishes with weekly specials, and options for vegans and vegetarians.” Following the renovation of The Dun Cow, which brought it back to its Edwardian splendour, the Chop House opened just over a year ago after the upstairs room had a brief stint operating as Longhorns. Paul added: “We’ve kept the decor as it was as The Chop House, which was traditional and informal. A lot of the feedback we had is that people much preferred that to how it was as Longhorns.” The Grill Room will open at the end of April and will open on weekends only in the first few weeks. It’s part of a string of new ventures in the emerging cultural quarter centred around the £3.5million Fire Station development. It joins establishments such as The Peacock, No 2 Church Lane and The Engine Room, which have helped to boost the night time economy in this area of town. Paul said: “We’ve had a definite increase in footfall and there’s a nice little strip developing around here, which people are using. People that would once spend their money on nights out in Newcastle and Durham are starting to realise that we have an offering here, which is wonderful. “We’ve noticed a massive difference in the night time economy, even compared to this time last year.”