Empty Exeter restaurant transformed into 'elegant' new bar

For Graham Preece, a forest manager by trade, owning a bar wasn't exactly on his radar. But after repeatedly walking past an empty restaurant unit on one of Exeter's trendiest streets, he decided it might be worth a go.

"I was walking past it continually and I just thought 'why not?'," he said. "I really love the area, it's got a community feel. It just seemed like a shame to have this property not being open."

The site on Magdalen Road was previously occupied by bar and restaurant Thorne's which closed in 2023. After a long period of refurbishment, it reopened as Darwin's Bar.

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Despite the compact size of the premises, Graham has packed three different styles into each seating area. One has a modern style, with seats facing the well-stocked bar, the second has low-lighting and Georgian-style furniture, while the third is an airy conservatory, with fairy lights and one long table.

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"It's got quite a refined, elegant, opulent sort of feel," Graham said. "But to counter-balance that, it's also a relaxed, cosy environment where people can come and just really chill out. It's something that complements the street.

"I wanted this place to feel quite unique. We've got three different rooms, which means it's like three distinct spaces that are different in their tone and feel but hopefully there's some synergy between them as well."

Primarily, Darwin's is a gin bar, with a large selection on full display behind the bar. There's everything from suppliers in Devon all the way up to well-known, classic brands. There are also gins from around the world, many coming from stops on Charles Darwin's 'Voyage of the Beagle' - hence the bar's name.

Graham said: "There's a good selection of gins. A lot is from Devon and the South West. Sustainability is a really big part of what we're trying to do.

"We've got some classics and we've got an eclectic range of gins from around the world. Darwin travelled the world on a ship called the Beagle and a lot of the gins are from the stop off points on his journey."

But it's not just for gin lovers. There are plenty of other spirits, a wine list and beers from Devon-based brewery Powderkeg. Graham said: "There's a good offering of spirits and a wine list. We're also working with Powderkeg, which is a local brewery just a few miles away."

He says he is proud to become part of Magdalen Road, a street in the city that has become well-known for its mix of independent shops, cafes and restaurants. He adds that many customers who have visited over the last two months have said the bar - which he hopes will be a 'community pub' - is exactly what the street needs.

"I like the strong spirit of independence on Magdalen Road," Graham said. "It's been really positive. I think people think it's a welcome addition to the street and a lot of people said it's exactly what the street needs. That's really, really nice and the best feedback we could possibly have. I like the idea of being the Magdalen Road community pub."

Manager Ben Porter has become the face of Darwin's, being in charge of its day-to-day running. He says there has been a good mix of customers so far, some of whom are already regulars. He said: "We've got quite a few regulars from the local area and the rest is people going for dinner next door. It's a bit of a mix."