With little fanfare, the Old Bull Tavern, a new gastropub with British decor, is expected to open next week in Beaufort.
"We may not do anything," owner John Marshall said of the opening. "We may just open the doors and see what happens."
In the works since June, the restaurant at 205 West St. was originally expected to open this summer in the former home of Bistro 205, Breakwater Restaurant and Bar.
Much of the delay was to create the right ambiance, Marshall said. That meant importing furniture and decorations from shuttered British pubs. A leather couch and stools came from Scotland. Whiskey barrels serve as stands. Old photos of the Cardiff Brewery and a mirror from the 1950s adorn the walls.
"It's easy to go out and buy something new, but it's hard to buy something old," Marshall said. "And it's hard to make someplace feel old when everything inside is new."
The look may be old, but the menu will be updated almost daily with a rotation of bar snacks, appetizers and entrees chosen according to the availability of fresh ingredients -- and whatever Marshall, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America, feels like making that day.
Old Bull Tavern, however, will not have typical fried bar food, he said, as there is no fryer.
Hours will be 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.
Information: 843-379-2855
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