Pinocchio's Restaurant Cheltenham Parade Harrogate North Yorks HG1 1DD Tel: 01423 560611 Fax: 01423 530908

...a little bit about us! The building in which Pinocchio's is situated was originally built in 1892 as a Primitive Methodist Church. Later, in 1911 William Holden (famous puppeteer of the time) turned the building into the Empire Theatre and he actually hand carved the wood proscenium arch of which most is original. Famous actors and actresses of the time played here, including Sarah Bernhardt and Fats Waller. Later, the building was used as a cycle shop and, as remembered by older customers, a toy and pram shop called Bleans. Pinocchio's was established in October 1976 by Mr Raymond Sandever and Mr Tony Peral. The restaurant is still owned by Tony and Raymond's son Paul. It employs approximately 55-60 members of staff of varying nationalities (many of the full time staff have been with Pinocchio's since its opening) who help to create a wonderful and fun atmosphere. The restaurant originally seated about 80 people in what is now the entrance and waiting area but was expanded to seat 220 people on 3 levels (Auditorium, Stage and Balcony) in 1988. In September 1994, fire badly damaged the restaurant but it was fully restored two months later. The theme of the restaurant is a Theatre Land/Woodland setting incorporating the theatrical history of the building and the story of Pinocchio. Eating in the restaurant is like being outside under a starlit sky with trees around you and a view of both Pinocchio's and Geppetto's houses. Pinocchio's is a continental restaurant and, as you will see, the extensive menu caters for most tastes. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are generous. This combination appeals to a wide range of customers from families to business delegates who attend the many conferences in Harrogate, returning year after year and recommending colleagues to pay Pinocchio's a visit. As well as word of mouth being the best form of recommendation (people from as far away as New Zealand and Australia have been urged to call whilst in Harrogate), Pinocchio's has also been recommended in numerous write-ups (including Oliver from the Yorkshire Post) and was awarded the best overall family restaurant in Great Britain by Peaudouce.