St Aldate’s Tavern, which has been closed since last year, has reopened after a £150,000 renovation project.
Located on St Aldate’s, the pub’s new atmosphere is described by owners as “shabby chic”. The venue has been renovated before, but Clive Watson, representing the tavern, said, “This refurbishment is different from others as we have focused on linking ourselves to the local community.”
However, Watson was keen to stress that the Tavern is “not a gastropub”, and that the “city tavern style” will be maintained.
One new customer described the Tavern as a “destination pub”, and the new interior as “cosy”. The pub is owned by Merton College. However, not all Mertonians were positive: one Merton undergraduate commented, “I’ve never even heard of St Aldate’s Tavern… I wouldn’t expect any one at Merton to have heard of it either.”
