Mohamad Abbar and Daniel Ball have came together to open the city’s latest restaurant
20:32, 30 Oct 2025Updated 20:32, 30 Oct 2025
Mohamad Abbar (right) and Daniel Ball outside House of Caesar on Bold Street(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A former phone shop worker is throwing himself in the deep end of the hospitality industry by opening a £600,000 restaurant – despite having no experience. Mohamad Abbar, from Bootle, has teamed up with Formby’s Daniel Ball to open House of Caesar.
The city’s latest restaurant, located at the top of Bold Street, near St Luke’s ‘Bombed Out’ Church, has been in the pipeline for over a year now. The two at the helm had originally planned to have customers in their restaurant’s seats and food on the plates by now, but for one reason or another, this hasn’t been the case.
The venue has experienced a series of delays, but is finally opening to the public on Friday, November 7. Daniel, a 41-year-old who is also the owner of Delta Bravo Designs, told the ECHO: “We got the keys 18 months ago and it’s been massively renovated. Even the architecture of the roof has been finally restored because it’s a listed building.
“We’ve built a whole new mezzanine and a whole new second floor, that’s what has taken us so long. We’ve installed a new kitchen and a new bar, so it can fit around 300 people in it. Being honest with you, the renovation price has now gone up to around £600,000, but it was worth it.
The venue, found in a former bank building at 103 Bold Street, prides itself on bringing an “authentic Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavour”(Image: Liverpool Echo)
“It’s a prime location at the top of Bold Street – there has been a loss of food places here, not so much drinking establishments, so we want to combine them and deliver a live-entertainment restaurant experience. With the passing trade, it’s an amazing opportunity; it would be silly not to jump on board with Mohamad.”
Daniel has previously designed interiors for the likes of Nando’s, Costa Coffee and Dixie Dean Hotel and so knew the effort it would take to transform the former Brazilian venue Maracanã Sport Bar into the House of Caesar.
He said: “We wanted to make sure everything was perfect before we opened and we think customers will see that when they come in. You can see from the small details that the gold leaves that time has been taken to get everything were it needs to be.”
The venue, found in a former bank building at 103 Bold Street, prides itself on bringing an “authentic Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavour” to what is already a vibrant food scene in the heart of the city.
The bar area inside House of Caesar(Image: Liverpool Echo)
When it does finally open, customers can expect to find a mixed menu of Arabic, Turkish, Syrian and Mediterranean dishes at the 103-unit. Mohamad, a 30-year-old whose family are from Damascus, the capital of Syria, said: “We are getting more and more excited as we get close to the launch.
“Bold Street is already thriving with so many different restaurants and cuisines, and we can’t wait to bring House of Caesar to that mix and add to that.”
The venue is decked out with neon lighting set to brighten the space, contrasting with the dark walls and complementing the high ceilings. The floor will be laid with parquet wood, and seating areas will include embroidered fabrics and cushions for comfort, reflecting Middle Eastern influences.
Background music will feature Middle Eastern tracks, with live bands performing on weekends. The menu will focus on traditional marinated meats such as chicken, lamb, and fish, alongside rice dishes, salads, and freshly baked breads.
Other popular Middle Eastern items will also be available, including falafel, fattoush, kebabs, shawarma, and plant-based plates with options like hummus. Once the team at the venue get into the swing of things they plan to upgrade from small plates to a “full-blown restaurant”.
House of Caesar will open from Monday to Sunday from 11am to 12pm during the week and 2am on the weekends.