When the lights dimmed inside Vancouver's storied Lamplighter Public House in Gastown at the end of 2020, the temporary closure had plenty of locals feeling nervous. Was it to be the end of an era for the popular Donnelly Group pub?
As it happens, the temporary closure ended up being just that: temporary. Now the Lamplighter is set to welcome back patrons the week of March 14, with an official grand opening celebration on St. Patrick's Day, March 17.
Owned and operated by Donnelly since 2007, the property itself has been home to a pub or restaurant since its earliest days at the start of the 1900s. In 1925, a handful of Vancouver establishments were granted licenses to serve alcohol, including The Lamplighter, making it one of the oldest pubs in the city.
Since its first pour, as a press release points out, The Lamplighter has "survived two world wars, the Spanish Flu, and the Great Depression," and, we now know, the COVID-19 pandemic, too.
In fact, though the Lamplighter may not have been serving pints and taking in revenue this past year-plus, the pub took advantage of the down time to do significant "mechanical upgrades" (like new plumbing and washrooms) and undergo an interior refresh. Now Lamplighter patrons can enjoy sitting down at pale wood tables and being surrounded by greenery, off-white walls, vintage-style wallpaper, antique chandeliers, and custom tile floors.
On top of the physical changes, the public house will now boast a new menu created by acclaimed Vancouver chef Mike Robbins (AnnaLena, Their/There). Robbins has been working with Donnelly Group since 2020. Longtime Donnelly barman Trevor Kallies continues as Beverage Director and is tasked with curating the Lamplighter's drinks and beer lists.
For entertainment, The Lamplighter will offer weekend DJs, plus pinball, and pool. Plans are underway to round out the pub's event calendar - and you can rest assured some of its popular pre-pandemic special events will be making their comeback soon.
The Lamplighter is located at 92 Water Street in Vancouver.
