New Italian restaurant set to open in Barnard Castle later this year

Barnard Castle is getting a new Italian restaurant.

Work has started at Beaconsfield House, on Galgate, and owner Tony Troci expects to be ready to open Julia’s in October.

Mr Troci is no stranger to the business.

He already has the popular Bistro Italiano in Durham and was co-owner of Julia & Sophia’s in Sedgefield until about six months ago.

He told the Mercury: “It will be a traditional Italian restaurant with a menu similar to the one in Durham.”

In keeping with the family-run business, Julia is the name of his daughter.

Beaconsfield House was built in 1878.

Most recently it was a restaurant, but it closed in 2019.

An application to convert the 2,800sq ft property into a hotel was refused by Durham County Council in 2024.

The site had been on the market for about £400,000.