Pubs and Bars / News
Former pub to become skater-friendly bar
A former pub which recently closed unexpectedly is reopening on Thursday as a dive bar.
The Dame on Dean Lane in Bedminster has taken on what for many years was the Tap & Barrel. It takes its name from Dame Emily Park opposite.
The new bar is being run by Stephen Wallace, Rayne Rose, Tim Nokes and Andre Seidel, with Tim and Andre also running Campus Skateparks in Bishopsworth and Winterbourne.
is needed now More than ever
The Dame is opening on Thursday – photo: Andre Seidel
The team behind the Dame hope that it will become a “friendly neighbourhood dive bar” which appeals to both skateboarders and the wider community in BS3 and further afield.
“For years, this has been the perfect spot to be the bar for the skateboard community as it’s right opposite Dean Lane skate park,” Andre told Bristol24/7.
“We’re custodians of giving Bristol a place for skateboarders and the community to hang out, but we don’t want it to be exclusive.
“We want to be open to everyone and kind of go back to the days of a dive bar.”
One side of the Dame includes a new mural painted by Rich T, with Andre saying they are keen to support local creativity and artists.
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Read more: New skateboarding group launches for Bristol’s queer skaters
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The Tap & Barrel closed alongside three other pubs in Bedminster on the same day at the end of March, after the previous landlady said she could no longer continue due to cost-of-living rises.
Following this, the pubs have reopened under new licensees, including the Tap & Barrel briefly before closing again.
The Albert Lounge and London Inn are currently operating as normal, but the Black Cat has closed again despite also briefly reopening.
The Dame on Dean Lane in Bedminster was formerly the Tap & Barrel before it closed in March – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: Charlie Watts
Read next:
- Four pubs close across Bedminster in one day
- How DIY skateparks reassert ownership over the city’s abandoned spaces
- New pub from Bristol Beer Factory opens in Wapping Wharf
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