Marina set to welcome new Spanish tapas bar

A unit at Mercia Marina is undergoing a six-figure revamp to turn it into a Spanish tapas bar and restaurant.

The Boardwalk Bar & Restaurant at the marina, near Willington, is being transformed into Compamigos, from the Spanish ‘compartir con amigos’ or share with friends.

The new name reflects the venue’s transformation into the tapas bar and restaurant, with dishes especially created for sharing with friends coming to the menu.

The £200,000 refurbishment began earlier this month and will continue one floor at a time, ensuring the venue remains open throughout.

General manager Richard Petitjean said: “We’re gearing up for an exciting new chapter for the team and our customers here at Compamigos, as we unveil our transformation and rebrand in the coming days and weeks.

“We have spent the last year getting to know our customers and their needs, before we took the decision to transform the Boardwalk Bar & Restaurant into Compamigos, a special place to share with friends.

“Along with our new name and look, we will be launching an incredible menu with mouth-watering tapas dishes created by our very talented head chef Ben Wilkinson.”

Mercia Marina, which is near Willington, is home to about 630 boats, making it one of the largest inland marinas in Europe.

It features a range of shops, restaurants, bar, beauty salon and a fine art gallery, alongside its walking trails, holiday lodges and boats.

Robert Neff, general manager at Mercia Marina, said: “It’s wonderful to see the team take the bar and restaurant here to its full potential, creating an experience that visitors will savour.

“We’re excited for everything November will bring, including sampling the tasty new menu and seeing the new rebrand for Compamigos unveiled.”