New restaurant opens in historic Dorchester building
Al Molo is a second branch for the business, with another in Weymouth
A new Italian fish restaurant has opened in Dorchester, after a seven month refurbishment of a historic building.
Al Molo has taken over Judge Jeffreys Lodging House on High West Street, welcoming their first diners this week (Wednesday 27th July).
The business is run by the same people behind the restaurant of the same name on the Pier Bandstand in Weymouth.
The Dorchester branch opening has involved some painstaking work to restore some original interior features, which had fallen into neglect over the years.
Tim Newton, Co-owner of Al Molo said:
”It is humbling to work with a building with such a rich heritage and importance in the town. However with the amount of work that needed to be done and (co-owner) Giuseppe’s treatment for cancer, we had to put back the opening date. With Giuseppe on the mend, we were able to take the time to respect the integrity of this historic building. Stripping back the years of neglect has taken months, but it has been worth the hard work to restore stunning features, sympathetically design the interiors and refurbish outdated infrastructure to reveal a new, functional and rather beautiful setting to enjoy good food."
As well as the original features, the decor's been given a 'contemporary edge' and had a new kitchen installed.
Giuseppe Vannucci, Co-owner of Al Molo said:
”The fish from our local waters is second to none and I have been developing these menus over a number of years in readiness for the perfect setting to serve them. They combine the fresh taste of our seas with traditional Italian cuisine. It is a pleasure to bring these new dishes, together with my new vegetarian and meat options, to the table in a setting which complements the quality of the produce."
Dorchester Mayor, Councillor Janet Hewitt said:
”This new restaurant is a most welcome addition to the High West Street, not only because it has saved a historic asset in our town from further neglect and is creating more employment opportunities, but also for bringing a quality dining experience celebrating local produce to our doorstep."