In Thursday’s edition I ran the exclusive that the bar and restaurant at the Hotel in Tres Cocos was re opening. Well yesterday Rose and I popped in to the bar – Molly Malone’s (Irish Bar) for it. It is after all just around three hundred feet south of where we live in Tres Cocos and it would be rude not to ‘support’ our neighbours!
Before the photographs though a bit of background information.
The bar, which is situated on the ground floor (road level) of the Hotel first opened on 17 March 2012 but regrettably closed around six weeks later with the rooms of the Hotel never having a paying guest. And it had remained that way until yesterday. The Mary Celeste of hotels/bars you might say. That is until Bruno Nobrega and his partner Diana rented the bar and the Hotel.
Bruno and Diana came to Belize from Namibia (Bruno being born in Lisbon,Portugal) and lived on the mainland before finding their perfect business opportunity – the Hotel. The re-opening of the bar, Molly Malone’s, being phase one of the project.
So what’s the place like you’re thinking.
Well it’s very reminiscent of bars in the UK and, not surprisingly, Southern Ireland (and I have had the pleasure – if I recall correctly- of visiting quite a few). It’s got a comfortable (like its always been there) type of feel about the place.
the Hotel
Entrance to Molly Malone’s from the foyer of the Hotel.
The bar is really spacious with plenty of seating both inside
and outside
As I have already mentioned, it’s location is particularly convenient for Rose and I. We can sit outside and look north and see our home.
It’s a particularly well designed bar (or am I being overly patriotic?) with toilets (restrooms for non UK readers).
Gent’s toilets.
And for the ladies (don’t worry I didn’t take this photo, Rose did)
For the re-opening they had Valentino on hand to entertain the clientele.
Work is now underway on finishing the eighteen hotel rooms so that it can operate (for the first time in its three year existence) as a fully fledged hotel which Bruno and Diana will operate and manage.
So what do Bruno and Diana look like you’re asking.
Bruno in the centre ( those of you familiar with Ambergris Caye will recognise Shaggy who is one of the bartenders).
And Diana
Diana is the one on the left.
The bar also has a food offering
It’s a well designed bar with an ‘always been there’ type of feel and well worth a visit. It is after all a short way north of the bridge. And it would be great to see our new neighbours Bruno and Diana succeed.
Before bringing this ‘special’ (who am I kidding!) to a close I’ll leave you with a couple of photos of the foyer of the Hotel.
The headline for today’s edition is based on the lyrics of the song “Molly Malone” (also known as “Cockles and Mussels” and “Dublin’s Fair City”). As far as I know a rendition of it has never made the charts.
Thank you for sharing with us the photo of the urinals. Assume you will be spending plenty of time with them?
Piss off!
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Very cool. It is a beautiful place…too pretty to be all closed up.
Agreed. To spend so much time, effort and money and then for it to just gather dust. Not so sure about it being pretty though. I like the clean, uncluttered lines. Nothing frothy or frivolous about the design.
Hi John, I expect you gathered we were on are way to the Hotel, just as we gathered you’d already been !! All it wants is some craic , I hope it succeeds , i dont see why it shouldnt
Hi Robert. Yes, we guessed that’s where you were headed. It will be better when he has more people in there and the TVs are in.
That’s great we are staying in tres cocos in July it looks like a must visit
With a surname like yours Susan you just have to go there! Seriously though it is a very nice bar.
Have a great time when you visit.