Outdoor sauna among South Shields bar and restaurant's reopening plans - what to expect from Caesar’s Den on April 12, if roadmap goes as planned

Caesar’s Den in Newcastle Road has undergone a £10,000 refurbishment and will have a Mediterranean and Italian menu. Previously the venue was the Simonside Arms.

The partners behind the new venture are Pawel Zawadzki and Valius Sobolev, who took over in February. Pawel is a chef with 16 years of experience in the industry, but this is the first business he has owned.

He is known for his signature dishes of pork belly gyro and special double-beef burgers, but he will also be preparing an array of Greek, Italian and other food.

As per Government regulations, outdoor service only will be available from Monday, April 12. It isn’t until May 17 that hospitality venues can seat customers indoors, when parties will be a maximum of six people, or two households of any size.

There will also be an outside playing area for children, as well as an outside sauna for up to six people. The sauna will be available for hire within guidelines at £45 for the six people. Users will change inside the sauna, which has a built-in generator.

Caesar’s Den is raring to go. The venue’s owners say they will comply with every single Covid regulation and do more besides. They have everything planned – except the weather.

Pawel said: “We’re all set for April 12 and we’ll be providing the best you can get.

“We’ll employ eight staff, but will try to get more if it’s busy. We’ll see how the market is, because you’ve got to be careful with a new business.

“I’ve wanted to do this for many years now. I’ve been successful as a head chef in many places so I thought; if I can do it for other people, I can do it for myself.

“I’m very excited. I can’t wait for customers to try the food. Although we know that people are keen to have a pint outside too.

“It’s really hard to get hold of table umbrellas and gazebos at the moment, so let’s hope for some lovely weather for April.”

In time, Caesar’s Den will be able to accommodate 70 indoor diners with 160 outside.

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