THE cafe and bar fronting the central piazza at Chester’s iconic HQ building has sprung into life.

The MC Bar and Grill, with outdoor seating, offers a more informal dining option than chef Michael Caines’s fine dining restaurant within the four-star Abode Hotel, while Abar MC is a lounge bar facing the courts.

A ‘soft opening’ for invited guests took place on St George’s Day with the doors thrown open to the public last weekend.

At last Friday’s VIP event, guests and the media had the opportunity to meet Mr Caines, Nick Halliday, managing director of Abode Hotels, and Abode general manager Faye Kelly.

Mr Halliday said: “This is a landmark moment for a landmark development. The piazza opening will be marked with the launch of ABode Chester’s ABar MC and MC Bar and Grill, which will be an integral part of this great space, transforming it into a place to socialise and enjoy the great views.”

HQ will also be home to Cheshire West and Chester Council, which came in for criticism after giving itself planning permission to use an area originally earmarked as a ground floor restaurant for offices and meeting rooms instead.

Food-lovers and some HQ residents say the decision undermines the HQ cafe culture concept but there is still space for one restaurant within the council-owned block, which, together with the MC Bar and Grill, should go some way to attracting enough customers to the site.

Four departments from the authority have already moved in, with a reception up and running.

HQ also houses 34 one, two and three- bedroomed apartments overlooking the racecourse, with penthouses taking centre stage.