New 120-seat 1848 Stanley Dock pizzeria planned for Liverpool dock 2026

Key Points

• A new pizzeria of 120 seats called 1848 Stanley Dock will be soon opening in the historical Victorian pumphouse at Stanley Dock in Liverpool.
• This comes after the £1.5 million renovation of the Grade II* listed Hydraulic Pumphouse Station.
• Harcourt Developments, the owners of Stanley Dock Liverpool, made the announcement of their plans on 5th October 2026, in celebration of World Architecture Day.
• The restaurant will occupy the building known as the pumphouse, with the main dining area likely to utilize the boiler room as well as a modern glazing addition.
• The name is inspired by the year the dock was opened, which was in 1848, while the dock was engineered by Jesse Hartley.
• The project is part of the overall redevelopment project of Stanley Dock, which has included the Titanic Hotel and Rum Warehouse event venue.
• Planning permission for a restaurant in the pumphouse was given by Liverpool City Council in September 2022.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) October 05, 2026 — A new 120-seat pizzeria named 1848 Stanley Dock is set to open in Liverpool’s historic Victorian pumphouse after a £1.5 million transformation of the Grade II* listed building. As reported by Explore Liverpool, the venue will bring a large-scale dining offer to the Stanley Dock regeneration area, using a building once central to the operation of Liverpool’s historic docks.

The announcement was made by Harcourt Developments, the owner of Stanley Dock Liverpool. According to Caterer and Licensee, the company revealed the plans on 5 October 2026 to coincide with World Architecture Day.

The restaurant’s name, 1848 Stanley Dock, refers to the year Stanley Dock opened. Historic England records that the dock opened in 1848 and was designed by dock engineer Jesse Hartley, who also worked on the Albert Dock ensemble closer to Liverpool city centre.

Why is the pizzeria called 1848 Stanley Dock?

The name directly connects the new restaurant to the dock’s origins. Stanley Dock opened on 4 August 1848, and Historic England describes it as part of a group of docks designed by Jesse Hartley.

Liverpool World Heritage also states that Stanley Dock was designed by Hartley and opened on 4 August 1848, noting the area’s large warehouses, walls and docks as well as smaller structures including bridges, bollards and capstans.

The choice of name therefore places the new pizzeria within the site’s maritime and industrial history, rather than presenting it as a standalone city-centre restaurant.

Where will 1848 Stanley Dock be located?

The pizzeria will be located in the Victorian Hydraulic Pumphouse Station at Stanley Dock, on Regent Road in Liverpool. The building overlooks the dock water and sits beside the former North Warehouse, now home to the 153-bedroom Titanic Hotel.

As reported by Real Asset Insight, Liverpool City Council granted Stanley Dock Properties detailed planning consent in September 2022 to convert the listed pumphouse into a waterfront restaurant. The approved scheme described a 4,400 sq ft dining destination, with capacity for up to 200 diners in the original planning documents.

The pumphouse was originally built in 1854–55 and was designed by Jesse Hartley. During the Victorian and Edwardian periods, it powered lifts, cranes and tobacco-press machinery in the North and South Warehouses.

What will the restaurant look like?

The published plans indicate that the main dining space will be created within the pumphouse’s boiler room, alongside a contemporary glazed extension. According to details reported by Real Asset Insight, the design includes a glass ceiling overlooking the dock and glazed doors opening onto a waterfront dining terrace.

The former pumphouse contains four distinct internal spaces: an entrance hall, boiler room, accumulator tower and engine room. The approved design allows for restoration of the entrance hall, while the boiler room becomes the principal dining area.

No detailed menu, operator identity or confirmed opening date was included in the available announcements. The reports identify the venue as a pizzeria and state that it will have 120 seats, but do not provide further operational details.

How much has the transformation cost?

The transformation of the pumphouse for the new restaurant is reported to have cost £1.5 million. Both Explore Liverpool and Caterer and Licensee describe the project as a £1.5 million conversion of the historic Victorian pumphouse.

That figure relates to the restaurant conversion rather than the full regeneration of Stanley Dock. Earlier reporting by Real Asset Insight placed the pumphouse restaurant within a wider £250 million regeneration of the Stanley Dock area, and described it as part of a £120 million next phase of works.

What does the project mean for Stanley Dock?

The opening of 1848 Stanley Dock would add another visitor-facing use to a dock area that has undergone substantial redevelopment since Harcourt Developments acquired the Stanley Dock area in 2010. Historic England records that work began on site in January 2013, with the North Warehouse and Rum Warehouse converted into a hotel and events venue that opened in June 2014.

The pumphouse restaurant is therefore the latest stage in a longer-term effort to bring new commercial and hospitality activity to historic dock buildings. The site’s regeneration has already included the Titanic Hotel, the Rum Warehouse events space and the wider reuse of former warehouse structures.

Historic England has previously described the Stanley Dock Conservation Area as an example of regeneration in an area that faced significant economic challenges, noting Harcourt Developments’ purchase of the area in 2010 and the subsequent conversion of key buildings.

Background of the development

Stanley Dock is one of Liverpool’s most significant historic dock complexes. It opened in 1848 and was designed by Jesse Hartley, the Port of Liverpool’s dock engineer from 1824 to 1860.

The Hydraulic Pumphouse Station, built in 1854–55, once supplied hydraulic power for dock-side machinery, including lifts, cranes and tobacco presses in the North and South Warehouses. The building is Grade II* listed, reflecting its architectural and historic importance.

Liverpool City Council approved plans to turn the pumphouse into a restaurant in September 2022. At that stage, Stanley Dock Properties director Pat Power said the food offering, branding, interior fit-out and operator were still being reviewed, with further details expected later.

The newly announced 1848 Stanley Dock pizzeria now provides a named use for that long-planned conversion, although the available reports do not confirm an opening date or operator.

Prediction: How could this affect Liverpool diners and the local hospitality sector?

For Liverpool diners, 1848 Stanley Dock is likely to add a large, destination-led pizza restaurant to the north docks area, with waterside seating and a distinctive heritage setting. Its 120-seat capacity suggests it is intended to serve both walk-in guests and larger groups, potentially increasing footfall around Stanley Dock, particularly alongside the Titanic Hotel and Rum Warehouse.

For the local hospitality sector, the venue could strengthen Stanley Dock’s position as a dining and leisure destination outside the city centre. If the pizzeria opens as planned, nearby hotels, events venues and other dock-side businesses may benefit from additional evening and weekend visitors, while the project may also encourage further investment in the wider regeneration area.

For heritage and regeneration audiences, the development demonstrates continued reuse of a protected Victorian industrial building. The key test will be whether the completed restaurant balances new commercial use with the conservation of the pumphouse’s historic character.