One of Newcastle's most attractive after-dark venues is closing its doors for 'a bit of a refresh'.
King Street bar and restaurant, Bartholomew's, will cease trading on Sunday to enable construction work to take place.
Co-owner John Elsley said the venue would re-open in three weeks' time, on June 19.
"We've been there for eight years now, it was time for a bit of a refresh and to tidy some things up - things you can't do while you're trading," he told the Newcastle Herald.
"We've closed down for a bit of a cosmetic upgrade and a shift in our offering.
"We're getting new furniture and new carpet, we're knocking down some walls and adjusting the layout a bit, and we're introducing a casual fine-dining concept called European Table.
"We been so bar-focused until now and will be bringing in more of a dining element as well, with table service, a new menu and a larger wine list."
Bartholomew's occupies the old Methodist Mission building on King Street, which was originally built in 1903. Over the years it has housed a theatre, a beer hall, and a fine-dining restaurant.
Elsley opened the 1920s-inspired cocktail bar and restaurant in 2018 as Babylon Newcastle, changing the name to Bartholomew's Bar & Restaurant in 2022 following a trademark dispute.
The stunning venue has high ceilings, elegant chandeliers, a tiered theatre-style balcony, a whisky and spirits wall behind the bar, and a mezzanine level overlooking the ground floor.
"We'll be keeping the whisky wall but bringing in some world-class wines," Elsley said.
"It's a really cool concept, with lots of decent-sized changes happening.
"We've got events coming up in June so we're ripping into it to get it all finished in time."
Elsley also co-owns venues including Blind Monk, The Grand Hotel, The Whistler, Lambton Park Hotel and Good Folk Brewing.
