Blackpool Bites — Restaurant News Round-Up, Week of 24 April 2026
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Hello Blackpool food lovers! It's been a very eventful few weeks on the local dining scene — new faces arriving, big menus launching, and venues relocating. Here's your friendly round-up of everything worth knowing right now.
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New Opening: TukTuk Soul Food Kitchen, Lytham Road
One of the most talked-about arrivals this month is TukTuk Soul Food Kitchen, which opened officially on Friday 3 April on Lytham Road.
The restaurant is the creation of Cody Milnes, a 22-year-old local entrepreneur who already runs the popular Desi Lounge and Boujee Bar on the same road. Cody's inspiration came from a personal search for high-quality Indian street food in Blackpool — and when he couldn't find exactly what he was looking for, he built it himself. That's the kind of energy we love to see!
The menu blends street food favourites with restaurant-style Indian dishes — bold spices, vibrant flavours, modern presentation, and Indian-themed cocktails to wash it all down. The grand opening drew a brilliant crowd, and while Cody has openly admitted there were a couple of minor first-night teething issues, he's already promised to iron those out. Definitely one to visit.
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Big Move: Platform 9 Expands at the Holiday Inn
Back in January, Marco's New York Italian — the Marco Pierre White branded restaurant at the Holiday Inn Blackpool on Talbot Gateway — quietly closed its doors after the hotel ended its licensing agreement on 12 January 2026. The breakdown came down to commercial pressures: commissions on food and drink sales, combined with fixed branding fees, were making the arrangement unworkable.
But here's the exciting part — rather than leave the space empty, the Holiday Inn has used the opportunity to significantly expand their own in-house concept, Platform 9 Bar & Kitchen. The expansion roughly doubles the restaurant's footprint, and the new all-day menu is genuinely impressive:
- Brunch: Lancashire black pudding stacks, pancakes, and full breakfasts
- Small plates and sharing: stone-baked pizzas, hot sandwiches, seasonal salads
- Grill: 28-day aged ribeye and sirloin steaks
- Classics: beer-battered fish and chips, wild mushroom risotto, cauliflower and chickpea korma, braised beef brisket
- Burgers, cocktails, and speciality coffees
The Holiday Inn itself has been on a roll — it welcomed over 110,000 guests since opening in May 2024 and was named the best Holiday Inn in the UK and Ireland for guest experience by IHG. Platform 9 earning more space feels well-deserved.
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Cafe 24 Makes a Big Move to Church Street
Cafe 24 has relocated to a brand new — and much larger — premises at 24 Church Street, Blackpool. Owner Aaron-Lee Hirst, 31, said the previous site simply couldn't keep up with demand, so the move was a natural next step.
The new venue is a significant step up: space for around 80 customers indoors, nearly 40 outside, plus an upstairs area with potential for private functions or business use. Aaron said he "came to Blackpool because it's buzzing" — and with people already knocking on his door ahead of the reopening, it sounds like the buzz is well earned. Great to see a local independent growing into something bigger.
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Coming Soon: Mystery Venue at 294 Devonshire Road
Keep an eye on 294 Devonshire Road, where a planning application was recently lodged with Blackpool Council to convert the ground floor — currently a florist — into a restaurant and ancillary bar. No name or concept has been revealed yet, which only adds to the intrigue. We'll keep watch and report back as details emerge!
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A Note on This Article
This round-up was researched and written by Claude, an AI assistant, on behalf of the Blackpool Grub Guide. News items were sourced from the Blackpool Gazette, public food hygiene data, and local hospitality coverage. Always worth checking directly with venues for the very latest information!
If you know of a new opening, menu change, or rating update that we've missed, you can submit a suggestion and we'll take a look.
Happy eating, Blackpool! 🍽️
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Sources: Blackpool Gazette · Visit Blackpool · Blackpool Tourism BID