Lunya at 53-55 Hanover Street is a pioneering Catalan and Spanish restaurant, tapas bar, and delicatessen. Founded in 2010 by Peter and Elaine Kinsella, the venue has spent more than a decade and a half celebrating regional Iberian gastronomy, sourcing artisan ingredients directly from small producers across Spain. In October 2024, Lunya made British hospitality history by transferring 100% of its ownership to an Employee Ownership Trust, becoming the UK's first employee-owned independent restaurant.
What Lunya does
The venue integrates a busy retail delicatessen with a 150-cover restaurant and bar. Entering from Hanover Street, guests encounter hanging cured hams, wheels of regional cheese, and shelves stacked with Spanish olive oils and conserved seafood. Beyond the deli counter, the dining room is arranged with dark wood tables, leather banquettes, and Spanish ceramic tiles, serving everything from morning coffee with churros to midday tapas lunches and celebratory evening paellas.
Being 100% employee-owned means every waiter, kitchen porter, and chef has a direct stake in the company’s success, resulting in exceptionally knowledgeable, attentive customer service and high team retention.
The tapas menu and signature Catalan Scouse
The kitchen draws its recipes directly from the markets of Barcelona, Madrid, and San Sebastián:
- Catalan Scouse: The restaurant's signature hybrid creation, taking Liverpool's traditional beef stew and enriching it with Spanish chorizo sausage and spiced morcilla black pudding, served with crusty bread and pickled red cabbage.
- Authentic Tapas Classics: Crispy patatas bravas with spicy tomato salsa and homemade garlic alioli, sizzling gambas al ajillo (king prawns in garlic, chilli and olive oil), crisp jamón croquetas, and tender albóndigas meatballs in rich tomato sauce.
- Valencian Paellas: Cooked to order in broad iron pans using authentic Calasparra rice, available as mixed seafood (langoustines, prawns, squid and mussels), chicken and chorizo, or roasted vegetable paella.
- Jamon and Charcuterie Boards: Slices of hand-carved Jamón Ibérico de Bellota (cured from free-range acorn-fed pigs), lomo, salchichón, and regional Spanish cheeses including aged Manchego, Garrotxa, and creamy blue Valdeón.
The Spanish delicatessen
The front retail deli provides a complete Spanish pantry for home cooks:
- Hand-carved whole hams and cured sausages vacuum-sealed for travel.
- Over 40 regional cheeses cut fresh from the wheel.
- Gourmet conservas including Ortiz white bonito tuna, Cantabrian anchovies, and razor clams.
- Spanish saffron, pimentón de la Vera paprika, Bomba paella rice, and single-estate extra virgin olive oils.
- Freshly made churros served with hot melted dipping chocolate.
The cellar: Spanish wines, vermouth and gin
Lunya manages one of the most comprehensive Spanish drink collections in northern England. The cellar stocks over 100 Spanish wines spanning Rioja, Priorat, Ribera del Duero, Rías Baixas, and sparkling Catalan Cavas, alongside an authentic vermouth bar serving draft vermut on ice with orange slices and green olives.
Prices and visiting tips
Pricing reflects premium, authentic imported ingredients (checked September 2026):
- Individual tapas dishes: £6.50 to £11.50
- Signature Catalan Scouse: £10.50
- Freshly cooked paellas (per person, minimum 2): £16.50 to £19.50
- Charcuterie and cheese sharing platters: £14.00 to £24.00
- Glasses of Spanish wine: £5.50 to £9.00
- Churros with chocolate: £6.00 to £7.50
Table bookings can be reserved online via their website and are highly recommended for weekend evenings. The ground-floor tapas bar and deli counter warmly accommodate drop-in diners and shoppers throughout the day.
Around Hanover Street and Liverpool ONE
Lunya stands in a prime central location on Hanover Street, facing the Bluecoat arts centre and the Peter's Lane quarter of Liverpool ONE. It is steps away from Bold Street and the Ropewalks quarter.
For more local recommendations, explore our City Centre guide and our guide to where to eat in Liverpool by area.
