A familiar sight along Corner Brook’s West Street is about to reopen with a brand new face and attitude.
West 96, the bar previously owned by Terry Rideout, is undergoing renovation, and will reopen on April 17 as The Galley. The shift comes from Rideout’s decision to partner with international chef Arafat Omrani on a new restaurant model.
During mid-renovation of 96 West, in which everything inside the restaurant, including the bar, the walls and the seating area, is being redone, Omrani says The Galley will be his first venture into co-owning a restaurant.
Omrani has spent the past 15 years cooking all over the world, including gigs inside Beijing’s Olympic stadiums, and with renowned fashion designers like Harvey Nichols. He says his menu for the The Galley will incorporate the past 15 years of his life, and contribute something new and affordable to Corner Brook’s restaurant scene.
“Fine dining in Newfoundland is expensive,” says Omrani. “My philosophy is that everyone should have a fine meal for a reasonable price.”
Omrani describes the menu as being “international cuisine,” incorporating dishes from an eclectic mix of cultures and countries. The bar is also being overhauled, says Omrani, who plans on serving classic cocktails and 12 different kinds of wine.
Omrani says the new restaurant’s Mediterranean-style cuisine will offer something new to the city, and the new space on West can add to the energy of West Street.
“For the opening we plan on doing something really new, even for the province,” says Omrani. “We’re going to do cocktails with liquid nitrogen, getting a cotton candy machine and then garnish for cocktails, as well.”
