It's been a busy two years for Twenty Twenty in Newcastle since it opened its doors in the Bigg Market and introduced people to a trademark menu that offers a selection of huge 20-inch pizzas and a pick of 20 cocktails.

And now the city restaurant has expanded to open up the upper floors of the building and has converted space into a new restaurant - which can seat 50 more customers - and a huge new kitchen. Twenty Twenty was opened in 2021 by Darren Todd-Smith and business partner Mark Stevenson and, as it approaches its second birthday this Friday, they will be giving away 500 cocktails so that customers can join the celebrations.

Those wanting to book on the night and enjoy a free cocktail can enter their email on the restaurant website to claim a drinks voucher and they will be able to choose what they want from a wide range of cocktails and other drinks. It will be a chance to see the huge changes that have taken place there which have been a long time in the planning before work then took place over a fast and furious six-month period.

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In all that time the restaurant only actually closed for four days, says Darren, which was when all the kitchen equipment was moved into a new upper level kitchen five times the size with windows overlooking the Bigg Market. But it certainly wasn't without its challenges, given the building's age.

Co-owner Mark was responsible for much of the renovation, working on it pretty much seven days a week since the start of May. The pair had thought the most straightforward part of the plans would be creating the new kitchen at the restaurant, which is loosely inspired by New York with its super-size food and relaxed dining vibe.

But they unearthed complications and found that structural reinforcements were needed. Now, however, it's all kitted-out with their huge pizza oven installed - which in most restaurants would accommodate 12 pizzas at a time but here does "four at a push" says Darren - and an extra-wide lift to transport those pizzas down to the restaurants.

The new dining room is on the first floor. "It has a different vibe," says Darren, compared to the ground floor where the main restaurant has now expanded into the space vacated by the previous kitchen, making another seating area plus standing room and extra space for the DJ who adds to the atmosphere at weekends and special events.

The new addition has a different feel, with lower ceilings, its own bar and artworks on the walls which have been stripped back to the original brick and, in some places, to the original blue paintwork showing through which complements an overall rust and blue colour decor. "It has the same colour themes but the music is a bit more chilled," says Darren.

This restaurant offers an alternative for diners who want a different experience to that downstairs where bottomless brunches have become hugely popular on Saturdays - to the point that those who have not already booked in the run-up to Christmas would now struggle to get a table. It offers an extended menu too, compared to the usual pizzas, nachos and 'dough petals'.

While the renowned 20-inch pizzas still take centre-stage, a new menu also offers pasta dishes, small plates and desserts here. When head chef Ben Drew is not busy making a giant pizza from a 800g ball of dough, he and the kitchen team will be creating the likes of a new carbonara gnocchi, which includes panchetta, and a fennel sausage pasta with chilli flakes and garlic.

The Twenty Twenty food and drinks menu changes regularly and every Monday the team get together to share new ideas, with Ben telling them whether or not they'll work. Darren's children - who are also fans of the venue's mocktails - have had input into the children's menu, which includes make-your-own opportunities, and it's thanks to them that pineapple is now an option among the toppings.

Drinks-wise, staff have helped with ideas for new cocktails too and soon additions for Christmas will be joining the menu. There's a fleet of staff at the bar to ensure service, as in the kitchen, is fast.

Pepperoni is, as usual, one of the most popular pizzas. The meaty mix of The Italian Job is a favourite too while more unusual options include a Mexican Standoff and a Greek-theme one called By The Beard of Zeus. The 20-inch monsters, which are also on offer as part of the bottomless brunch deal, are more than most diners can manage - with each of its slices being the equivalent size of an eight-inch pizza - so, if people don't want to share, they're sold by the slice too.

In the restaurant's two years, there have been only two people who managed the whole thing - one being a bodybuilder who even asked for a popcorn dessert afterwards.

Reflecting on those two years, when they opened on the back of Covid then lost out on Christmas trade when people were again cautious about going out, Darren says: "It was a bit wobbly at the start - but we've had steady growth since then." He knows of others in the trade who are currently struggling and says: "We have peaks and troughs like everybody."

But he adds that they are already seeing a positive reaction to the new dining room which had a 'soft' launch two weeks ago. General manager Joe Attenborough, who has been part of the team since the start, remarks on how well the restaurant's look has been replicated upstairs and agrees: "We've had a lot of positive feedback."

The expansion means the team now operate over all five floors, with the top level of the building being used as offices. The restaurant already extends to the basement, which features a striking brick arch which is among the building's preserved traditional features. There's a nod too there to the old Bonsers photography shop the building used to be, with a giant Kodak print - found during its initial refurbishment - taking pride of place on a wall. The store's name can still be seen on a salvaged sign that hangs in a stairwell too.

During work this time around they have found old newspapers, dating from the 1980s, under the floorboards and these are to be framed and hung on the wall, adding to the building's history. The decor includes glitterballs and throughout there are vibrant works by local street artists, including Cack Handed Kid and Bobzilla as well as Glenn Malpass, whose murals flow upstairs and also adorn the cover of the new menus.

Darren has brought some of the artworks in from his own home, including a painting by his talented sister Tina Todd which she completed when she was just 16 and which is displayed in the extended ground floor seating area. Here and the basement are available for private bookings.

Following Friday's birthday, the venue will be gearing up for Christmas and a big New Year's Eve bottomless brunch night to include music and various drinks which will take over three floors and see the ground floor room given over to a bar.

Future plans also include an offer of 50% off during the first two weeks of January after which Twenty Twenty will be taking part in Newcastle Restaurant Week. To make a booking and to enter details for a chance of a free drink this Friday see its website here.