A GREENWICH restaurant with a history that stretches back to the 1960s has closed today.
Bar du Musee in Nelson Road started life as a small wine bar and was the first venue in the town centre to come under the ownership of Greenwich Inc.
The bar grew in size to include a cafe area, large restaurant area and also a covered garden space.
The large venue in a prime town centre location has apparently caught the attention of Jamie Oliver and a long-rumoured move by his Jamie’s Italian chain was confirmed in the latest edition of landlord Greenwich Hospital’s own magazine.
“A new arrival, timed for early next year,” writes Greenwich Hospital’s Property Manager Gillie Bexson, “is Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italian on the Bar du Musee site. This relaxed and affordable dining… will be popular with locals and visitors alike.”
Greenwich Inc owner Frank Dowling recently spoke to Greenwich.co.uk and said his future plans included investing heavily in the Trafalgar Tavern to deliver 15 hotel rooms and renovating the entire building, building a new hotel at the site of Trident Hall and developing a music theme at the Admiral Hardy. In addition Inc Bar will be re-launched as a “classy cocktail bar.”
Greenwich.co.uk also understands the Bar du Musee name may be revived at another Greenwich venue in the future.
UPDATED
Another Nelson Road has also closed. Italian restaurant La Cucina di Soteri, at the corner of Nelson Road and King William Walk suddenly closed for business just days afte Bar du Musee.
The owner told Greenwich.co.uk that the premises had been sold back to the landlord, Greenwich Hospital.
FINALLY, a decent restaurant! One day Greenwich will have township full of shops and restaurants to be proud of… instead of how it is today… a discrace!
Go Jamie… show em how it’s done!
BDM had gone so far downhill in recent years that I don’t know anyone local who ever went near the place. The service was chaotic and the staff often just plain rude. Not to mention the soulless atmosphere. So good riddance and welcome Mr Oliver. Hopefully you can do better with what must be the best bar/restaurant space in town.
Glad to hear that INC is reopening as a cocktail bar, Greenwich is so far behind in terms of entertainment this will be a welcome addition to town. Now please someone open some more trendy little bars, some decent cafes with proper coffee, some funky mid range independent restaurants with modern food, a yogurt shop, a juice bar etc… I want to bring my friends here to spend money but its bars/restaurants are so diabolical now I am too embarrassed by it so groups of us head to Waterloo or somewhere instead.
There are hundreds of new flats going up here, more than likely to be filled by young professionals. Where are all the bars etc… to cater for them?
I have no love for Inc group or Bar du Musee (although the cafe bit did do surprisingly nice coffee) but I really cannot be excited about the arrival of Jamie’s Italian. I have been to the one in Canary Wharf – it’s alright.
But really, add Jamies Italian to Pizza Express, Nando’s, McDonalds, Zizzi, Byron, GBK, Starbucks, Costa etc and Greenwich is losing something.
“Greenwich is losing something” hopefully most of the eateries in the town centre. I would love it if there were lots of really great independents around the market like the places on Bermondsey Street (Or even more places like Inside or Buenos Aires) . That isnt going to happen though as there isnt the local market. Replacing the awful tourist traps with middle market chains doesnt seem so bad.
When it was just a tiny single-frontage place it was rather fun. I think the chap who ran it also ran the antique shop opposite, with the permanent divers’ helmet and compass binnacle in the window. Kenneth More type, ex RM, smoked a small straight pipe, had a dodgy hip. Probably did something rather heroic somewhere abroad in the 1950s. The other customers were equally sketchable;
The chap who used to run the Cutty Sark Trust. Small and round with a decent Saville Row Norfolk suit. Ex MN. Had some unusual theories about body types of English archers of the 15th century (short legs, long torsos)
The very skinny woman who had something to do with tourism who dragged her cardigan-fronts across her chest on-cue whenever anyone spoke to her, like drawing curtains in an emergency air raid
The stubbly young chap who used to nurse his wounds in the BDM from bar-fights elsewhere; I never once saw him without some facial injury. If he was no good at fighting, one wondered why he did it
The bar-girls were pretty indistinguisahable and well trained and came from some particularly upper middle class factory somewhere in Wiltshire; they generally managed Swiss chalets in the ski season and were dismissive of any man over 25 or lacking a trust fund.
It was an eclectic little place, and I had some good nights there.
Beautiful comment Armitage Shanks. Would love to hear from you more often.
The antiques place opposite was Clancy’s Antiques, I believe. The owner (can’t remember his name at the moment, not Clancy) owned the Coaches & Horses, and pretty much lived there. There used to be a C&H website with a page celebrating his life, but can’t find it now.
We used to stop by most weekends. Only once bought anything – an Edwardian solid oak desk that he was about to break up to use the oak to repair older pieces. He let us have it for the £50 he had paid for it, and we drove it back to Stepney Green – where we lived then – with the desk top balanced on the roof of our Lada, held in place by our hands out the window. It fell off on Creek Road but, to our amazement, was unscratched.
Life is indeed ephemeral…
And you have tried & tested “all the restaurants” before making such a general assumption? Some of us take pride in Being independently family run, with fresh cooked food being prepared in our own kitchens by our own chefs, what you seem to suggest is more chains serving pre prepared food that is brought on site portioned in plastic & boiled or microwaved. Enough of them around, sounds like you Bluewater .
I believe his name was Robin Challis. Last heard he was running an antique shop in Kent. BDM was a great place even into the 90’s.
Sorry, but I am not sure you have read my comment “Now please someone open some more trendy little bars, some decent cafes with proper coffee, some funky mid range independent restaurants with modern food, a yogurt shop, a juice bar etc…”
I am clearly asking for more independent food and drink places in Greenwich and NOT suggesting more chains, so I don’t see where you got that idea from. Poor Greenwich is being blighted by poor service from INC and boring chain restaurants and I really hope someone reverses this trend like the traders on Royal Hill do.
I just moved here from Brockley and its got some excellent independent bars and cafes as the chains luckily haven’t discovered the area. If Greenwich had some places like these they would do an absolute bomb – such as the Orchard, the Gantry, Browns of Brockley, Arlo & Moe etc…
PS – who is Bluewater?
We already have a decent restaurant – it is called ‘Inside’. Jamie’s Italian is a chain, like any other. If peolpe want Italian they should walk to Bella Vista Restaurant in Blackheath. Authentic, rather than Jamie’s mockney.
Just heard that La Cucina di Soteri, also in Nelson Road, is closing today as well.
That is a shame for the staff but I must admit I have never tried it in all my 9 years here. It looks so dated and like something you would see on Leicester Square. I prefer more modern pantry style Italians like Polpo, something that little bit cooler and tastier. Unfortunately, most restaurants in Greenwich have fit-outs, menus and styles which are so dated – i.e we have 4 gawdy Mexicans yet no modern street-mex type place, like Wahaca or more locally Lourdos. Don’t get me wrong I certainly don’t want ANY more chains, just some nice independents with the b@lls to be inventive and modern with their approach, which I guess is why I rate Biancos.
JI taking over Bar du Musee gets a mention in Wharf magazine: http://www.wharf.co.uk/2012/09/greenwich-gets-set-for-jamies.html
They quote a JI spokesman as saying “We are excited about the prospect of opening a restaurant in Greenwich but cannot confirm any plans as yet. We will update you with details as soon as we have them.”
Interestingly the Wharf article also quotes Frank Dowling explaining that the reason to close down BdM did not have anything to do with bad trading at the venue, instead his benevolent excellency thought JI would be good for Greenwich so he gave up his most cherished site for the good of Greenwich and its people –
“It had nothing to do with trading at Bar du Musee, it’s just Greenwich would benefit from a Jamie’s Italian – it’s great for the community, it’s good for the town centre and it’s a great opportunity for everyone.”…
Here’s to hoping his benevolent streak soon extends to his other venues.
I heard a rumour that there might be a problem with the back of the Bar Du Musee building concerning unauthorised buildings and flues. Apparently the council found out about this when they sought planning permission for the boutique hotel and it would have to be put right before anything else could happen… whether it be a hotel or a restaurant.
I would certainly believe that Inc would undertake unauthorised works at the back of the BdM.
But not sure how its ‘discovery’ by the Council could be connected to the planning permission for the boutique hotel – which was applied for by Greenwich Hospital, not Inc, and which is on the Island Site, on the other side of Nelson Rd and nothing to do with the BdM site.
Geoff3 is referring to the application, for which permission was granted, to establish a boutique hotel above Bar du Musee
http://www.greenwich.co.uk/news/05725-new-hotel-planned-in-nelson-road/
Ah. Apologies to Geoff3 and thanks for clarifying Rob. I somehow missed this story… didn’t realise that yet another ’boutique hotel’ had been approved.
Hooray! a great restaurant arriving in Greenwich!! shame it is going to be the new year! Bar Du Musee will not be missed food was ok but service was awful and disorganised but that is similar to the the Trafalgar although £15.99 for fish and chips the last time I looked… come on!!! and it looks tired and weather beaten. I recommend the Gypsy Moth for e great Sunday lunch and you can take your dog along!
@Andy – Gypsy Moth used to be dreadful for food and service so must try it again given your recommendation. The best places in Greenwich for a roast are in East Greenwich I reckon, The Plume of Feathers is awesome, The Cuty Sark, The Vanbrugh and The Pelton aren’t bad either. Haven’t managed to get into either of the Union or the Richard 1st early enough to get a roast but based on the fact they sell out I guess they are fairly decent too. Anyone know if the Guildford or Ashburnham do a nice roast? We do have some nice little pubs round these parts 🙂 (and some crap ones too mainly in the town centre)
@FFB yes the Guildford and the Ash do decent sunday lunches. Well worth a visit.
Well said mate. Jamie’s Italian is just sub par to put it nicely and I love bar du musee taken three out of the last 4 dates there. I’m going to have to find another place to be charming now because I’m not going there. Unless its to steal the napkins and door knobs.