Plush blue booths, an “indulgent” ice-filled salad bar and meats carved at the table are on the cards for diners at Darlington’s new Estabulo restaurant.
The town’s former Pizza Hut restaurant on Horsemarket has been transformed into a “lively and immersive dining experience inspired by traditional Brazilian churrasco”.
From steak and lamb to belly pork, Estabulo is serving up a range of grilled meats which will be “expertly carved” directly at your table.
Estabulo fans have had to wait almost a year and a half to dine at the chain in the town following the closure of its restaurant at the DL1 complex in January 2025.
Construction crews moved in on the former Pizza Hut earlier this year, spending months revamping the space before finally opening to the public on May 6.
New pictures inside have offered a look at just how much the restaurant has changed.
While the familiar exposed brickwork remains, around it are luxurious booths, wooden tables, LED wall art, and hanging pendant lighting.
A spokesperson said: “We’re so happy to be back open in Darlington.
“Our beautiful new location is ready, the grills are on, and we can’t wait to welcome you back and serve you again soon.”
Estabulo has been absent from the town since it closed its doors at the DL1 entertainment complex, where it had been since 2018, suddenly last January.
At the time, bosses said they were carrying out a revamp - but just weeks later, the restaurant was stripped out and its signs removed, fuelling speculation that it would not reopen.
It wasn’t until last December when the news it would be relocating was confirmed as logos were erected on Horsemarket.
In January, Sophie Blackburn, operations manager at the chain, revealed that one of the main reasons to move from DL1 was the lack of footfall at the complex.
At the time, she said: “It is just a much better site in terms of footfall. That was one of the main reasons for the relocation. We were struggling a bit with footfall [at DL1]."
While most remember the space as Pizza Hut, which closed in December 2021, it had a very brief stint as Italian restaurant Mafea last year.
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Within weeks of opening, Mafea appeared to close suddenly, with no social media posts since June and two customers claiming they turned up for bookings to find the doors shut.
Estabulo’s relocation from DL1 is one of several blows for the troubled complex in recent years, following the closure of a number of restaurants.
This includes the likes of Prezzo, Mango Bean, The Chinese Buffet, Tomahawk and Bella Italia.
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