In recent years the property – which joins Burrard Street and Halkett Place – has been home to City restaurant, Signature restaurant, national chain Gourmet Burger Kitchen and, most recently, Mon Vie – but none has lasted more than a few years and some have only lasted a matter of months.
But now after five months without occupancy, the building is to have a new lease of life serving Portuguese food and drink under the name of Mira.
- Mira means ‘vista’ or ‘sight’ in Portuguese.
- There is a town and a municipality called Mira in the district of Coimbra, Portugal.
- A beach on Portugal’s central coast is known as Praia de Mira.[/breakout]
On Wednesday the restaurant’s proprietor Alberto Dos Santos appeared before the Royal Court to ask for a first and a third category licence in order to serve alcoholic drinks to customers at the bar as well as to those seated at a table.
Advocate Philip Syvret, representing Mr Dos Santos, said that his client wanted to run the bar area as an ‘ancillary’ to the restaurant so that customers would be able to enjoy a drink without having to have a table.
He added that granting the first category licence to allow bar service would not necessarily mean that a precedent would be set for granting licences to other restaurants in the area.
The Constable of St Helier, Simon Crowcroft, said he had no objections to the applications and that there had been no issues identified when the topic was discussed at a public meeting earlier in the year.
‘The parish is keen to see these premises re-open. As long as it’s well run I have no hesitation in supporting both the first and third category licences,’ he said.
Bailiff William Bailhache said that the court would grant the third category licence but that it was not in a position to grant the first category licence to allow bar service because formal plans of the restaurant’s interior had not yet been submitted.
Mira is scheduled to open on 1 March.
City
The owners of City Restaurant and Bar did lots of work to the site, including adding bi-folding windows, al fresco eating and a retractable canopy. But after nine years of trading, the owners decided to refurbish the restaurant and change the concept in 2008.
Signature
Named after its menu, which featured signature dishes from famous chefs, Signature opened in May 2008. The restaurant had undergone a huge overhaul, including new toilets and the addition of a cocktail bar – but closed down in 2010.
Gourmet Burger Kitchen
The UK chain arrived in both Jersey and Guernsey to much fanfare, with the two islands hosting the latest additions to a 50-strong group of restaurants. But it was short-lived for the award-winning chain, which closed its doors in April 2012, just over a year after it opened.
Mon Vie
When Mon Vie opened in April last year, it created 21 jobs for Islanders.
But the family-run restaurant, which included a cocktail bar and children’s play area, lasted just four months. Bradley and Nicola Nicolle launched Mon Vie with a VIP cocktail evening but admitted that the venture was a ‘gamble’.
EVERYONE enjoys a meal out or a takeaway, but how much do you really know about what goes on behind the scenes in the kitchen?
In the past, Islanders have simply had to put their faith in those preparing their meals and keep their fingers crossed that the cooks were complying with food hygiene standards.
But that all changed in October last year when the Environmental Health Department issued the Eat Safe Jersey guide, giving a star rating to each establishment in Jersey which sells food.
And although the list names and shames those who are failing to comply with the most basic standards, Jersey’s Environmental Health Department, unlike those in the UK, currently has no power to close the businesses down.
Caroline Maffia, team leader for food safety and infectious disease at the Environmental Health Department, said:
‘Almost everyone in Jersey enjoys food made by someone else, whether that is a great meal out, a takeaway at home, a shop-bought sandwich for lunch or a morning croissant on the way to work. But how do we know if the food has been prepared in a safe manner?
‘Eat Safe Jersey rates food businesses on their hygiene standards, based on inspections carried out by the States’ Environmental Health team. Now, if you’re planning a meal out you can check out the Eat Safe rating too.’
Stewart Petrie, interim head of Environmental Health, added: ‘We certainly don’t want to slander anyone. We have had a few complaints and we have also had a few places that have said “It’s a fair cop – what can we do”, which is encouraging. It’s about pushing up standards.
‘There was a case recently that went to the Royal Court when a batch of mayonnaise became contaminated. We went back and inspected the kitchen afterwards and that would have scored zero.
‘There is a right to reply and a right of appeal because no doubt one or two will tell us we were wrong. It is also nothing to do with the quality of the restaurant but about food hygiene.’
The scores are based on how the food is handled, the condition of the premises and how food safety is managed and documented.
