Ilha Azul Bar & Grill, a new Portuguese restaurant celebrated its grand opening in Bradford at the four-corners of Holland Street West on Saturday afternoon.
New owners and friends Carla Monteiro and Luis Belem took over the space in August and opened its doors officially on Sept. 1. The restaurant offers a mixture of Portuguese and Italian cuisine with vegetarian options also available.
“We wanted a variety so people can pick different stuff,” notes Diana, one of Monteiro’s daughters, who will be working at the new restaurant.
Everything inside and out of the new establishment has been carefully selected to represent the nine islands of Azores, Portugal where Monteiro and her family originated from.
“Every island has its colour and our island is blue,” explains Diana. “So everything is blue so we could brighten up the place."
The interior of Ilha Azul is decorated with pictures of the Portuguese islands and the exterior has been repainted in a bright aqua-blue and personalized with a blue anchor above the doorway.
“The anchor is a symbol of an ocean theme,” shares Diana, adding that the anchor is made of a fork and spoon. “The marina on our island is very popular because it is a stop off point for many travellers sailing around the world. Travellers will stop at our island to make a painting because it's supposed to be good luck."
The new owners and staff were joined by members of town council and Mayor Rob Keffer as well as members of the Bradford Board of Trade (BBT) for their official ribbon cutting ceremony.
“It’s a great restaurant and bar right in the centre of Bradford and we’re very pleased to be here," expressed Mayor Keffer.
BBT Director Ryan Charron adds “I can smell the food from outside and it smells awesome!”
Customers were treated to a giant hog roasted on a spit-fire on the patio located at the rear side of the restaurant, while a live DJ spun tunes inside.
“Thank you for investing in our downtown," congratulated Mayor Keffer.