Adrian Dumineca, 29, originally from Romania but now living in Tuebrook, spent three years working in Liverpool before deciding to pursue his dream of opening a Spanish restaurant. Yannis & Daddy in Wavertree opened on June 7, 2025, and Adrian, founder and head chef, said a year on he feels as excited as the day it opened.
From Spain to Liverpool
Adrian moved to Spain at age eight and started working as a waiter at 17. He worked in restaurants across Burgos, Menorca, Barcelona, and Valencia, where he developed his passion for cooking. In 2018, he moved to Liverpool alone, working in a Morrisons factory for three years and later as a delivery driver. "I love Liverpool because the people are really friendly, but I had a bit of a hard time when I first moved because I felt quite lonely," he told the ECHO.
During a trip back to Romania in 2019, Adrian met his partner Cristina, who is from the same hometown. They became best friends and moved in together in 2022. "When I moved in with Cristina our life changed because we created a family and started to dream together," he said.
Son Inspired the Restaurant
Their son, Yannis, was born three years ago. Adrian said without Yannis, the restaurant would never have existed. "When Yannis was born we decided to open a restaurant because it's always been my dream. He's the reason we started the business and that's why we named it Yannis & Daddy." The couple loves to cook and experimented with recipes at home before opening. "We love having a restaurant where we can serve people our food and see how happy they are when they eat it."
Traditional Spanish Cuisine
Adrian describes Yannis & Daddy as a traditional Northern Spanish restaurant. After three years in Liverpool, he knew it was time to "bring a piece of Spain" to the city. "We bring the real taste of Spain to Liverpool and we have customers in Wavertree that came on our first week that are still coming. I wouldn't even say they are customers anymore, they are our friends."
All food is homemade and cooked to order. Popular menu items include steak, Iberian pork, and garlic prawns (Gambas Pil Pil). The star dish is sea bass, prepared using a traditional Spanish method. Their sangria is also a hit, with customers often ordering three litres.
First Anniversary Charity Event
For the restaurant's first anniversary, Adrian and Cristina organized a charity event for Claire's House. Despite the restaurant's success, Adrian admits his son Yannis prefers fast food like nuggets and burgers. "Even though the restaurant is named after my son, Yannis prefers eating fast food... which I hope changes as he gets older."
