A Dundee city centre pub is to reopen its doors for the first time in four years today after undergoing a £630,000 revamp.
Tommy and Jacqueline Fox had originally planned to open The Barrelman – formerly The Mercantile – in April, but coronavirus lockdown delayed plans.
The Grade A listed building, on Commercial Street, has undergone a significant refurbishment which includes exposing the brickwork and wooden floors, and adding new furniture and decor with an “understated nautical theme”.
The venue boasts a bar, dining area, zones with booth and soft seating and a mezzanine-level function space as well as outside café style seating.
The reopening is creating 25 new jobs.
Tommy said: “Local interest has been huge. It’s exciting to be finally opening.
“The Barrelman looks totally different to anywhere else in Dundee now. Anyone who comes is blown away; they can’t believe it’s the same place.
“The centre of Dundee is picking up again but with bars and restaurants operating at reduced capacity, it’s difficult to get into many places.
“We feel very fortunate that The Barrelman is such a big airy venue where customers can easily space out.
“It can accommodate 120, so people can safely enjoy drinks, a meal or a great night out in a fantastic atmosphere with a social buzz around them.”
The Barrelman will open at 11am.
Freshly prepared food will be served all day, starting with brunch and using locally sourced produce from Angus farms and the city’s butchers and fishmongers.
The menu will offer contemporary Scottish dishes, pub classics with a modern twist and a variety of small plates.
Customers will be greeted at the door and shown to their tables, which will be sanitised between every use.
Whilst booking is encouraged, there will be an allocation of tables for walk-in customers, too.”
Brian Davidson, Star Pubs & Bars operations director for Scotland, said: “Tommy and Jacqueline are highly professional operators with great vision and we wish them well.
“The Barrelman is certainly worth the wait – it looks amazing and it’s totally unique. This is a major development that will really add to Commercial Street and the centre of Dundee.”
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.