Footballers and actors amongst familiar faces at the restaurant’s opening soiree

IF you enjoyed Confidential’s First Look of Grand Pacific - showing the splendid refurbishment of The Reform Club on King Street - then take a look at our gallery of images from the exclusive Grand Pacific launch party.

The Grade II listed building - built in 1870-71 as a club house for Manchester's Liberal party elite - retains much of its integral historic character, but has now been imbued with the colonial splendour of Singapore’s Raffles Hotel in its heyday; with giant palm trees, a central feature bar and cream leather boot seating.

Food on the reasonably priced menu, meanwhile, has been given a pan-Asian edge and the cocktail list harks back to a golden age of sophistication.

Fitting, then, the Living Ventures restaurant launched last night with a stylish bash complete with free-flowing drinks, canapés and a soundtrack by DJ Pasta Paul. Attendees included footballer Gary Neville, Corrie case members and comedian John Henshaw.

Living Ventures CEO Jeremy Roberts was also present, no doubt additionally celebrating his recent NRB award alongside Paul Moran for ‘powering the company forward’ after the loss of LV founder Tim Bacon - as Grand Pacific’s bustling launch no doubt proved.

Here’s how the night unfolded: 

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Photos by Carl Sukonik of The Vain photography