Inside Sunderland's new 21 Social pizza restaurant in well-known city centre spot
With its gallery walls for local artists, take one / leave one library and community events space, the city’s newest restaurant is aiming to be a real social hub.
While the menu is dedicated to the classic Italian dish, 21 Social is aiming to be more than just a pizza place.
Named after its community ethos and its location on 21 St Thomas Street, the new venture has opened in the former 808 Bar & Kitchen which announced its closure at the end of February.
The trademark faux cherry blossom trees and foliage walls of 808 have been replaced with a new blue colour space and gallery walls displaying artworks of local artists which will rotate regularly.
21 Social is the brainchild of director Dan Slater and manager Olivia Shepherd who both previously worked at 808, but wanted to create a new restaurant for the city that also embraced local arts and culture.
As well as showcasing local art for sale, with all profits going to the artists, 21 Social will be hosting independent film nights, arts events such as pottery nights with Rosebud Ceramics and live music.
There’s also a take one book / leave one book library, free wifi and remote working spaces for students and other customers.
The site already had a huge 2.7tonne wood-fired pizza oven, that had to be lifted in by crane, which the team are now putting to good use with a dedicated pizza menu.
Dan said: “We had always planned to create a pizza place in the city centre as it’s been our passion for a while. But we also wanted to do something more than pizza, to create a social hub for Sunniside to showcase the amazing talent we have in the city.
“Sunniside really is on the up, it’s undergoing huge changes and is really moving towards being a residential area.”
Dan added: “We opened last weekend in time for Easter and it’s started off well, people seem to really like the casual vibe we’ve created. Which is what we wanted: a place where people can just come and relax.”
Elsewhere in Sunniside, the first tenants are preparing to move into the old Norfolk Hotel which is being turned into 50 commercial workspaces.
Meanwhile, work is forging ahead on the new ‘Nile + Villiers’ housing development.
It will see the creation of 75 homes and 575 sqm of commercial space at a site bound by High Street West, Villiers Street, Coronation Street and Nile Street as part of wider plans to improve Sunniside.
In addition, the old Peter Smiths Antiques warehouse has been earmarked for the proposed Glassworks site, with the project already awarded a £5m grant from the DCMS Cultural Development Fund, towards the £7.5m project.
*21 Social is open Wednesday to Sunday from 3pm to 11pm. Pizzas are available for sit in and take out.
On The Menu
Pizzas start from £10.50 and include options such as margherita; vodka pepperoni; fungi; bacon & pineapple; sausage & onions; nduja and double pepperoni.
You can also pick up a ‘grandma’ square pizza topped with fior di latte cheese, San Marzano, extra virgin olive oil and Grana Padano.
The current specials start from £7 and include spicy vodka pasta, double cheese arancini and garlic bread.
There’s also desserts, starting from £4 including ice cream, New York-style cheesecake and 21 tiramisu.