Berwick Manor Restaurant and Lounge in Berwick Pond Road has recently reopened after being taken over by locally-based couple Amber Okonji and James Kagyi.
The duo previously ran a Mediterranean restaurant in north London but took over Berwick Manor Restaurant and Lounge earlier this year after it was closed for an unknown period of time.
The restaurant is located on the ground floor in the same building as Berwick Manor Hotel, which was issued with an enforcement notice following an alleged planning breach.
Amber believes it is important for potential customers to be aware the restaurant, which has undergone a refurbishment, is a separate identity from the hotel.
Amber said: “We’re very family orientated so we don’t just want bring good food, drinks and a good vibe but also a healthy balance between work life, home life and having a good time with the community.
“That’s something I don’t think the area has had in a while and we want to bring it.
“I know that when the restaurant was open a few years ago it did really well and people have missed that.
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“When I reached out to locals, a lot of people talked about how it was used for weddings and wakes and it was a bit of a local gem – people are excited and want to have it back.”
Amber and James “soft launched” the site in September with close friends and family visiting but in recent weeks it has become open to the wider community.
“We want to focus on good quality British cuisine but also bring a grilled, seafood and barbecue element to it too,” Amber said.
“We didn’t want to make anything too different from what the community is used to but we recognised that in Rainham there’s nothing else like this.
“The feedback in the majority has been really positive and people have been loving the food and the ambience but we’re still doing a few tweaks and there’s a lot of new things that we’re looking forward to bringing.
“We wanted to make sure we get it right in terms of the team and menu and things like that so its still very new and fresh.”
Amber said she hopes in the long term, Berwick Manor Restaurant and Lounge is able to “bring the standard up for good food and good balance in the community”.
She also said if all goes well, herself and James would be open to branching out and expanding.
