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Rutherford's Lounge Bar 3 Drummond Street, Edinburgh Old Town Background and Developments |
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Rutherford's Lounge Bar 3 Drummond Street |
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The small photo below is of Rutherford's Lounge Bar, one of Edinburgh's older public houses. This photo was taken in January 2007. Rutherford's looks, to me, as if it has probably seen little change, inside and outside, over the past 50 years. - Peter Stubbs: January 2007 |
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However, it looks asif things are about to change now. See below. - Peter Stubbs: July 2007 |
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July 2007 Future Plans for Rutherford's Lounge Bar |
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Background Rutherford's Lounge Bar dates back to 1834. Its facade dates back to 1899. It was Robert Louis Stevenson's favourite pub. He spent much of his time there as a student and is commemorated on a plaque outside the pub. It was recently sold by Kevin Doyle to Franco Martone who runs Café Roma on South Bridge. |
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Stewart's Bar Kevin Doyle's company, Caledonian Heritable, transformed Stewart's Bar, across the road from Rutherford's, naming it 'The Brass Monkey' several years ago. |
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Gay Nightspot? It has been reported in the press that Franco Martone's has plans for Rutherford's, yet to be approved by the city council, to: - keep its facade. - change its name. - convert it into a two-storey gay nightspot with dance floor in the basement. |
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Edinburgh Evening News: July 2, 2007, p.20 |
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July 2007 Future Plans for Rutherford's Lounge Bar |
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Ownership The sale of Rutherford's to Kevin Doyle's company, Caledonian Heritable, took place about a year ago after Rutherford's Bar had been owned by the same family for several decades. However, are some points have still to be resolved, so the sale has not yet been completed. Planning proposals to convert Rutherford's into a gay bar with dance floor below were submitted to Edinburgh Council by Franco Martone during summer 2007. These were approved, but the approval does not include making any changes to the B-listed facade or interior. Franco Martone is the owner of the Café Ciao Roma, adjoining Rutherford's Bar. However, Franco Martone does not (yet) own Rutherford's. He hopes to purchase it from Caledonian Heritable when the sale above is complete.* * The comments above on ownership are based on an interview on a 'Talk 107' radio program on September 26, 2007. The Edinburgh Evening News, September 26, 2007 describes Franco Martone as "owner of both Ciao Roma and Rutherford's Bar". |
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Petition Drinkers at Rutherford's Bar have set up a petition: - to save the interior of the premises, rather than see a new-style bar created to replace the old. - to prevent Rutherford's Bar being connected to the adjoining Ciao Roma restaurant, so creating a gay bar with dance floor in the cellar. So far, over 100 regulars have signed the petition. Those signing the petition claim that it is one of the last pubs of its kind where the elderly can meet and chat over a drink, as almost all the other pubs around have new-style bars catering for students and young people. |
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Discussion on the local
radios station, 'Talk 107':
September 26, 2007 |
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August 2008 Rutherford's Lounge Bar |
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Ciao Roma Restaurant Extension Opens The old Rutherford Bar has been refurbished. It re-opened extension to Ciao Roma Restaurant opened around August 6, 2008. I spoke to Franco Martone, owner of Ciao Roma Restaurant in August 2008, soon after the extension to his restaurant had opened. I asked if he still planned to open a dance floor, as had been reported in the press in 2007. He told me: "No, you can't believe everything you read in the papers." However, he told me that he plans to decorate his restaurant extension in a 'Treasure Island' theme in late September 2008, in recognition of the fact that Robert Louis Stevenson, author of 'Treasure Island', used to frequent Rutherford's Lounge Bar. Acknowledgement : Franco Martone: August 19 2008 |
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