A Resurrected Beacon Hill Dive Bar May Not Be Long for This World

A longtime dive bar in Beacon Hill that closed briefly last year following its acquisition by a hospitality group will apparently not live on as that same dive bar after all. Beacon Hill Pub (149 Charles St.), which had closed in October 2018, reopened in January with its new owners pledging to keep the bar largely unchanged, but now, there are new plans for a full redevelopment project for both the bar and the building.

The Greater Boston Bar Co., which owns the Beacon Hill Pub and several other local dive bars — including the Tam (222 Tremont St.) in Boston’s Theater District, Sullivan’s Tap (168 Canal St.) in the West End, and Mary Ann’s in Cleveland Circle — has now brought in a longtime Boston restaurateur to advise on the process of converting the Beacon Hill Pub into a fine dining restaurant.

Babak Bina — who previously operated Lala Rokh in Beacon Hill and whose Bina Family Hospitality group runs jm Curley (and its steakhouse, Bogie’s Place), Bin 26 Enoteca (also in Beacon Hill), and a farm — will come on board in an advisory capacity to help the Greater Boston Bar Co. select an owner and operator for the new upscale restaurant that will take over for the Beacon Hill Pub, transforming it into something that “is more in keeping with Beacon Hill,” as Bina told the Beacon Hill Times.

In addition to the pub’s transformation, the apartments above will convert to “high-end executive suites” with kitchenettes, with a goal of catering to families visiting nearby hospitals as well as business travelers. The building will undergo substantial renovations, pending approval from neighborhood civic, licensing, and architectural groups, with construction expected to last for about a year. Stay tuned for further details on the eventual closure of the Beacon Hill Pub and the opening of its replacement.

• Beacon Hill Pub to Become Fine Dining Restaurant [BHT]
• Popular Dive Bar Returns to Beacon Hill [EBOS]