Moorings Bistro brought to market

Moorings Bistro, a restaurant overlooking the bay of Borth-Y-Gest, just outside Porthmadog, has been brought to market after its current owners made the decision to move on.

The “vibrant” bistro, originally a terraced house built in 1860, provides uninterrupted views of the bay and surrounding mountains, and is described as having “long been one of Borth-Y-Gest’s most popular places to enjoy great local cuisine”. 

The modern, two-storey building is situated directly on the Welsh coastal path between Porthmadog and Criccieth and features an outdoor terrace and main restaurant with floor to ceiling bi-folding doors.

The business was said to have gained “huge popularity” under the ownership of Melanie Gautier and Ross Kempster, who purchased the bistro back in 2014, having been for lunch and “subsequently falling in love with the little gem”. Following this, they asked their friend, Mohand Yahia, who is a chef, if he would be interested in opening a restaurant together.

They said: “Having both worked in catering for over 10 years, we quickly realised during our lunch that Moorings Bistro was just perfect in every way, it’s location, it’s outdoor patio and for us, it’s size. It is big enough to make a healthy profit and yet small enough so you can get to know your customers and build a rapport with them. 

“As our first business, Moorings has been everything we wanted and we are very proud of what we have achieved, having managed to grow our turnover year on year whilst staying true to what we had envisioned in the first place; homemade food served in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere with exceptional views.”

They added: “But now, we have come to a time in our lives where we would love to have a family of our own and so business doesn’t fit in with our new dream. Once we sell, we would love to find a little B&B that would be more suited for family life. We really hope that someone else will love the Moorings as much as we have and get as much out of it as we did. 

“This is the perfect place for anyone looking for a change of lifestyle or even as an investment as the area is growing in popularity with tourists each year, and who could blame visitors wanting to come to this part of the world, it’s just stunning.”

Tom O’Malley, associate director in Christie and Co’s Hospitality team, who is handling the sale, said: “This thriving, unopposed local restaurant with stunning views could be the perfect business for an aspiring chef. This is a fantastic opportunity not to be missed.”