Long-awaited riverfront restaurant to open soon in Burlington City, replacing iconic Cafe Gallery

More than three years after the landmark Delaware River restaurant Café Gallery shut its doors in Burlington City, the new Riverview Restaurant and Bar is expected to open in its space in the next few weeks.

An Australian-born former cardiologist, who also owns a vineyard in his native country, purchased the building with a partner for $750,000 in 2014 and renovated the two-story restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the river and a modern kitchen. The city granted an occupancy approval late last month for the restaurant to open.

Adrian Thomas, one of the new owners, did not return calls for comment. But the restaurant's Facebook page said the eatery could open by the end of the month and that it now is looking to hire service, dining, bar, groundskeeping and administrative employees. The new establishment will offer "artisanal coffee, casual upscale dining and cocktails" that will "leverage the synergies of sister operations in farming, coffee roasting, wine production and restaurant businesses internationally," the page says.

Mayor Barry Conaway said the restaurant's opening will be a boon for the city. "It's fantastic to bring back some of the glory from the Café Gallery, which is something people still talk about to this day. The owners of the Riverview will bring energy back to the city and help make Burlington a dining destination," he said last week.

Cafe Gallery had been open for 34 years and was known for its French cuisine and popular Sunday brunches. It had opened at the site of a former bar named Big Tony's. Two former Willingboro teachers and a partner ran the business.

In an interview shortly after the building was sold, Thomas said that he also owned three restaurants outside London and that he lived on a farm in New Hope, Pa., and wanted to open up a restaurant closer to his home. He also is an executive in a health-care firm and is a part owner of the Lethbridge vineyard in Australia.

His vision, Thomas said, is to turn the Burlington restaurant into a spot that focuses on "fresh, artisanal, organic foods, sustainably sourced" from local farms. He said the restaurant would seat about 200, including an upstairs that could be reserved for special events. Cafe Gallery had a capacity for 130 patrons.

The new restaurant initially was targeted for an opening in May 2015, but the owners said they needed to make many improvements and obtain various approvals that forced them to push back the date. The building had to be upgraded with a new roof; a new stucco exterior was required because the walls were damaged by ivy growth; and parts of the foundation had to be restored. They also installed new hardwood floors, modern lighting, and a new concrete bar. A spruced-up outdoor patio with a bluestone terrace and new landscaping will be a spot for alfresco dining.

"All we need now is the health department inspection, and we will be ready to go from a permits perspective," the Facebook page says. "We can have all the furnishing and artwork installed over the next couple of weeks, final touch up finishes, and then we should be ready to go."

jhefler@phillynews.com

856-779-3224 @JanHefler

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