As part of his time in Liverpool, the Cold Feet actor and his friends ate a slap-up lunch at Papillon in Hope Street while attending the LIPA graduation ceremony.
A beloved telly star left diners and workers gobsmacked after making an unexpected appearance at a Liverpool eatery yesterday. Staff at Papillon on Hope Street couldn’t believe their eyes when James Nesbitt strolled through the doors.
The Irish actor has starred in numerous popular programmes throughout his illustrious career including Cold Feet, Bloodlands and The Missing.
He had travelled to Merseyside this week to collect a fellowship from Sir Paul McCartney at a Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) graduation ceremony on Tuesday (July 29) but managed to squeeze in a visit to the restaurant for his lunch the following day.
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James happily snapped photos with employees and fellow diners, reports the Liverpool Echo. He and two companions enjoyed a gambas pil pil, buttermilk barbecue chicken tenders and a pepperoni pizza, accompanied by two bottles of Viognier and a bottle of premium Ripasso.
The total bill was about £140. Leigh Elliott, a 33-year-old West Derby resident who works as Papillon’s social media manager, described James’ experience as “fabulous.” He was wonderful and friendly to the guests.
He continued to speak to people who recognized him throughout his absence. He claimed that the food and wine were outstanding. Even though he was purchasing premium wine, he liked the atmosphere and expressed his appreciation for the reasonableness of the prices.
“He was shocked by the quality of the bill. One of the chefs claimed to have previously been here, so it might have been his second time. We were undoubtedly surprised to see him because he had just arrived as a walk-in. This wasn’t a scheduled visit.
On Tuesday, James praised the LIPA students’ efforts, receiving awards along with James Bond filmmaker Sir Sam Mendes, performer Adrian Lester, and indie band The Wombats, who were LIPA members.
James remarked during the ceremony at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, “I’m so honored to accept this award from LIPA. When I went to a group of students a few months ago to speak with them, I was immediately struck by how incredible of a place to learn, with inspiring instructors and stunning facilities that clearly foster creativity, innovation, passion, authenticity, collaboration, and joy.
I had the honor of seeing a brief excerpt from a fresh take on Oklahoma after my talk. It was genuinely remarkable, breathtaking, and courageous in some ways.
During James’ visit, LIPA pupils’ parents also had dinner at Papillon. We had two customers, with two daughters who had just graduated from LIPA, Leigh said. She was previously enthralled by the fact that he had spoken to them. He spoke to them once more when he entered. Simply put, he appeared very nice.
Over the past few months, Papillon, a well-known establishment on one of Liverpool’s most iconic streets, has attracted more attention.
This surge in popularity is due to the restaurant being featured in several scenes of the hit BBC crime drama This City Is Ours, starring James Nelson-Joyce as Michael Kavanagh and Hannah Onslow and Diana Williams.
Owner of Papillon Leigh said he was delighted: “It’s brilliant. Numerous people have contacted The City Is Ours to request a seat in the seat where Michael and Diana sat since the movie was released. They are visiting it for the first time, despite knowing it is on their doorstep.
“We have received a lot of publicity. Recently, Pepsi collaborated with an influential person. Because they ordered one while they were here, we’ve received much more burger orders.
On Tuesday, Go Live Theatre’s CEO and accessibility advocate Sita McIntosh were two of those honored by Sir Paul: director Gay Linvill, known for directing episodes of The Big Bang Theory.
The former Liverpool Institute, home to John Lennon and his Beatles bandmate George Harrison, and the adjacent Liverpool Art College, which Sir Paul and Mark Featherstone-Witty founded in 1996, are located there.
This year’s graduation ceremony celebrated the achievements of around 420 graduating students from more than 30 countries, including Colombia, Hong Kong and India.
Source: Mirror
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