This beloved Irish spot is finally reopening in Coral Gables. Here’s your first look

JohnMartin’s, the beloved Irish pub and restaurant that closed during the COVID pandemic in 2020, is finally throwing wide its doors once again.

The Coral Gables landmark, which original owners and childhood friends John Clarke and Martin Lynch opened in 1989, is reopening on Nov. 18, with new owners, a new look and a refreshed menu, a private club — and a deep appreciation for the groundbreaking history of what came before.

New owner Emi Guerra, co-founder of Breakwater Hospitality, the group behind The Wharf, said respect for the original concept, which helped reinvigorate a sleepy Miracle Mile more than 30 years ago, was one of the driving forces during the renovation. With his partners Alex Mantecon of Breakwater and Erick Passo of Black Market Miami, Guerra wanted to pay tribute to the past as they considered what a new JohnMartin’s could be.

While incorporating nostalgia was key, modernizing the space was important, too.

“There’s a lot of history here,” says Guerra, who grew up in Miami. “We wanted to keep some of the original charm and respect what they did in the past. But you also have to build for a new generation that welcomes what it was. You have to bridge that gap.”

The new design, from Bigtime Design Studios, features nods to the original restaurant. The 43-foot-long main bar remains, with TVs to keep an eye on the night’s games and a white quartz counter top. Some of the original brass railings were repurposed and used throughout the building. Some of the original millwork and architectural highlights remain, and you’ll even find portraits of Clarke and Lynch, who grew up together in Killinkere parish northwest of Dublin, on the wall.

But the new JohnMartin’s is lighter and brighter, with a new black-and-white color scheme, big windows that look out onto Miracle Mile and an indoor “garden” with a skylight above to make lunchtimes a little sunnier.

Guerra said the design team visited Ireland and noted that many of the recently-built restaurants had bigger windows than the older venues and incorporated the look.

The menu takes its inspiration from the hearty old favorites, like shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash and fish and chips. JohnMartin’s has even added an Irish breakfast. Other pub fare is available, too: Burgers, chicken wings, sandwiches, plus fall-off-the-bone ribs.

JohnMartin’s is also repurposing the upstairs room once used for meetings. Now, it will host the exclusive, invitation-only Whiskey Society and special private dinners, featuring more than 300 types of whiskey (many of which, naturally, are Irish).

“We wanted to do something for locals and highlight something that no one around town was really doing,” says Guerra, who hopes the club will appeal to the Gables business community.

Coral Gables, of course, isn’t the same as it was back in 1989. It has changed tremendously, grown flashier — witness the new and luxurious Loews Hotel just around the corner. Many new restaurants have set up shop on and around Miracle Mile, too, and Giralda Plaza has come roaring back to life.

The competition, however, doesn’t faze Guerra.

“I think it raises the bar on the level of hospitality,” he says. “I think it’s great. There’s enough people for everyone to be successful. For us, this place, there’s a specific passion we have for it and a niche it caters to. That’s comforting.”

The restaurant, which will not take reservations, was also known for its traditional and elaborate St. Patrick’s Day party, which often spilled out the doors into the streets. One of the regrets of former owners Clarke and Lynch was that they weren’t able to throw one last bash before closing — the pandemic forced them to shut down before March 17 in 2020.

But Guerra says corned beef and cabbage could be on the horizon again in 2023.

“St. Patrick’s Day was a staple at this venue,” he says. “If we do half as good as they did on that day with the party, it will be great.”

JohnMartin’s

Where: 253 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables

Opening: Nov. 18

Hours: 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-3 a.m. Friday and Saturday

More information: johnmartinsmiami.com