Bar owners set to move focus onto their restaurants
THE owners of some of Newcastle’s most popular Spanish bars and restaurants have announced they are moving on from their Grey Street site Dacantus.
Claire Elwell and Toni Almiron have spent around 20 years serving up traditional treats from southern Spain through their venues El Torero, El Coto, Dacantus and The Continental, all in Newcastle city centre.
Now the couple have announced they will no longer be running Grey Street bar Dacantus, but hint at a new venture set to take its place.
The couple have run the restaurant, which is also known for its huge range of gins, for the last 10 years, having secured permission to convert an old office building before they could open.
Following the successful opening of Dacantus and nearby site The Continental, they had explored the possibility of rolling out the concept to other cities, eyeing possible sites in Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingha, but Brexit led to them pausing those plans as they import a lot of wine and food from Spain, a move which led to price increases.
The weekend marked their last with Dacantus, but they said a fond goodbye to followers on social media, telling The Journal that it will continue to trade as Dacantus for the time being, under new ownership with new ideas.
The post reads: “Ten years and tens of thousands of our infamous ‘perfect serves’ later, it’s time for us to say adios.
“We’ve had fun offering you endless combinations of gin & tonics along with our Spanish style hospitality and have made many friends over the years!
“A very big thank you to all of our loyal customers, past and present, and to all of our wonderful staff who have made Dacantus such a special place to enjoy great food and drinks. From Toni & Claire and Becky, Leah, Louie and the team!
“This is not the end, just a new beginning... something new and exciting… watch this space!!!”
Following the social media announcement, Ms Elwell said: “We’ve so enjoyed our time at Dacantus – I think we were in some ways the pioneers of the G&T when gin made its revival – we were the first bar in Newcastle, I think, to use the massive balloon gin glasses and the huge range of unusual tonics from Spain, including the very popular Nordic Blue Tonic.
“All of our staff became gin experts, and loved experimenting and making different G&Ts and offering a very personal and friendly service for our customers.
“It operated a table service, so we could offer customers a different kind of bar and ordering experience where their likes or dislikes could be chatted through with knowledgeable staff and a suitable G&T made just for them
“I think people enjoyed the chilled, relaxed vibe and being able to drink at tables and to grab a bite to eat at the same time.
“Gin isn’t as popular now, customers are looking for new experiences so the venue needs new blood to take over with a new vision – we want more time to spend with our family and to concentrate on the restaurants.”