A brand new venue promising an upmarket cosy date night vibe serving coffee by day and cheese and wine by night has opened in County Durham - take a look inside.

Cork and Coffee on North Road in Seaham threw open its doors on Friday (May 3) for its grand opening after months of renovation work.

The new venue aims to be a spot for dog walkers on the seafront by day then a luxury wine, cocktail and charcuterie spot in the evenings.

One of the minds behind the new business is 29-year-old Tam Ali, who previously told the Echo that his aim is to provide something outside of the box for locals.

"Myself and my business partners were looking at the seafront, and we realised that it just needed something a little bit different", Tam said.

"Something classy, a little bit more upmarket."

Tam, who also works as a firefighter, added: "We are looking to expand into tapas later on, but charcuterie at the moment will be our food. 

"But, at the minute it is going to be a coffee vibe in the morning then from noon it will turn into a charcuterie and wine atmosphere. 

"There is a lot of talk about it around town and it has all been really, really positive. The area needs it. I believe in it 100 per cent and I think it will work."

Pictures from the opening event show happy customers tucking in to decadent boards of cheese and meat cuts as well as a glimpse of some of the cocktails on offer.

On social media, the business wrote: "The team at Cork & Coffee would like to thank you all for such a great opening and for how much support you have given us in such a short time.

"We didn’t anticipate how busy we were going to be this weekend. Thank you again for the support, we appreciate it!"

Take a look at these pictures below:

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

Get more content including the stories that matter to your community from The Northern Echo for just £5 for 5 months for a limited time only here.

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)

The Northern Echo: Cork and Coffee in Seaham.Cork and Coffee in Seaham. (Image: CORK AND COFFEE)