Irish pubs. Downtown Raleigh has a handful of restaurants/bars that attach this “slogan” to the end of their name, but are they “public houses” in the true sense of the word? Most of them are massive, serve pseudo-Irish food, and are more like mazes than the shotgun bar space that most authentic Irish pubs are known for in Ireland and the UK. The James Joyce in Durham is one of the few spaces in the Triangle that actually resembles a true Irish pub (clientele: career drinkers, locals and raconteurs), but then again it is owned by an Irish lad. The newly finished Smoking Times is another such bar. Historically, the public House is synonymous with neighborhood bar and Raleigh needs more of these. When The Landmark Tavern opens today, Raleigh may gain just that, a big city pub with the small town atmosphere.
Located in the recently renovated and LEED Platinum Heilig Levine Building complex, The Landmark Tavern will open its doors to locals today at 4pm. At approximately 80 people, the capacity of the space is small. This could lead to either crowding or a nice intimate space, let’s hope it’s the latter. Manager Shelby Bacchus, husband of local rocker Richard Bacchus, said that the tavern will not serve proper food, only beer, wine, cocktails and “bar snacks.” This is typical for many pubs in the UK and Ireland. Most are focused on futbol, drinking and chatting up friends.
Herein lies a problem. In Raleigh, North Carolina (Thx RR) if you do not serve food, but do serve alcohol, the bar must require a “membership.” Therefore, The Landmark, as it will probably be called, will require a membership for entrance. This shouldn’t hinder too many locals as the membership is a quick survey of the essentials (address, phone number, etc) and your card comes as a plastic key chain which will fit right between your VIC and Public Library Cards. Considering it opens at 4pm daily and is in the center of the Central Business District, on what we’ll call Hatem’s Corner, it will probably be full almost all opening hours (4pm - 2am).
The interior of the bar is full of wooden booths, chairs and tables, again matching the aesthetics of the typical Irish pub. Stained glass, “antique” light fixtures above the bar and smoke filtration fans act as the rest of the decor. At the back of the space is a door to the exterior. Bacchus stated that it will, in the near future, lead to an outside patio. The patio will be located in a great open-air courtyard of the Heilig Levine building, which one of the hidden gems of urban space in downtown. A patio/beer garden is another aspect of the Irish pub, and once summer is here the overflow from the interior will have space to spill out into the sunny courtyard. And what about the pub street sign? Will we see Sir Walter’s face hanging from the facade soon?
Winter is the perfect time to open a new bar. The rain, sleet and cold weather chases pedestrians inside for warmth and what better what to spend a cold day than with a Guinness and a mate. It may not be authentic Irish, and could end up being a bit smoky and crowded. But from the looks of it, this new pub is sure to be an essential landmark for meeting friends and spotting downtown regulars.
Another Guinness Please!
UPDATE: New Raleigh was able to visit The Landmark Tavern on Friday and it was packed out the front door from 6pm until…. It will be five dollars per year for a membership. Beers on tap included Guinness, Bell’s Amber Ale, Old Speckled Hen, PBR, and Big Boss’s Brown Penny (to name a few). A full selection of bottle beers, wine and liquor is also available. A diverse crowd filled the space and the bartenders seemed to managed things well on the first night. The Landmark looks to be a hit.
The Landmark Tavern
117 E. Hargett Street
Raleigh, NC
P (919) 821-9865
Brendan O’Reilly
Monday - Sunday 4pm - 2am
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