Historic Mersey Ferry Daffodil transformed into floating restaurant and bar - opening date

For more than six decades, the Royal Daffodil took thousands of passengers across the river connecting Liverpool and the Wirral before being decommissioned and falling into disrepair.

Renamed Daffodil, the £3.5m restaurant, bar and events space will open for the first time on December 9, and is anchored at Canning Dock close to the entrance of the Royal Albert Dock.

Joshua Boyd, who has led the project alongside former Brookside actor Philip Borg-Olivier, told LiverpoolWorld: "I think everyone's been on the ferries at some point, haven't they? With Nan and Grandad or, you know, a lot of people have been engaged on the ferries and have got family who've worked on them or have serviced them over the years.

“There's a big maritime connection in the city region because it's not a Liverpool thing; it's a Merseyside thing, and that's so important for us to remember."

Around 50 jobs are to be created through the new venue, which was first signed off by Liverpool Council in June last year. Having originally been submitted in 2019, fresh designs were put forward to reimagine the ferry – once known as Overchurch – into a restaurant, bar and event space last summer.

Joshua said: "Up on the upper deck there, you'll see the promenade bar, and in there, you can come and experience an all-day dining menu. That's just a really sociable, beautiful space, obviously, with views over the Dock water looking across the Royal Albert Dock. In the main deck of the vessel is the restaurant, and leading right up to Christmas, we've got the festive menu."

The team has also confirmed that the Wheelhouse mini-museum exhibit, dedicated to the history of the Mersey Ferries, is still in the pipeline, pending funding.

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