OPEN TONIGHT: 20,000 Cows vegan restuarant proprietor Marijones Vilkelis is happy to be able to serve guests again after the flood.

OPEN TONIGHT: 20,000 Cows vegan restuarant proprietor Marijones Vilkelis is happy to be able to serve guests again after the flood. Marc Stapelberg

FOR 20,000 Cows restaurant proprietor Marijones Vilkelis it felt like despair knocking on the front door after spending 20 hours trapped on a two and half metre by two metre balcony.

"All night long I could hear things that had been floating down the river bumping into things and the house,” said Mr Vilkelis.

"The whole house was shuddering.

"And then in the morning the water was just swirling and a fridge had floated down.

"It was just so immense.”

The fridges, chairs, tables were all damaged, including the front door and windows, and even the floor boards and cool room.

Now, after a month of solid cleaning and repairs with the help of up to four people a day, the popular vegan restaurant is back on its feet and set to open its doors again this evening from 6pm.

"For a while there I was beginning to think it was the end of the project,” Mr Vilkelis said.

Most of the original menu is back.

Open Wednesday to Sunday from 6pm.