The Irish Tavern officially opens this Friday, marking the second change of identity in less than a year for a well-known pub in North Tyneside. What was The Top House and then Bloom & Berry will reopen its doors as the Irish Tavern this weekend.
A Second Transformation on Nile Street
A place that had been part of the community in North Shields for years, Nile Street boozer the Top House went on the market for £160,000 in summer 2025, before being taken on by new owners and relaunched as Bloom & Berry, with a drastic change in aesthetic both inside and out. Bloom & Berry welcomed its first customers in October, but now it is all change on Nile Street again, as the building becomes the latest in a string of new Irish-themed pubs to open in Newcastle and the surrounding area in the past 12 months.
Plans for the Irish Tavern
The team in charge at Bloom & Berry announced their plans for an Emerald Isle-inspired rebrand in July, taking to Facebook to reveal all, as they posted: 'Customer Announcement !! We have decided to change the pub into an Irish Bar and have lots of great new things coming with live Music every weekend...keep a look out for updates over the next few days and weeks.'
Now, fast forward a month and there are just days to go until the launch of the Irish Tavern, with loads of live music lined up for opening weekend starting with some tunes from Rhys Breen on Friday, August 21. Other acts confirmed to be appearing at the Irish Tavern in the coming weeks include Kody Walker, Dave Ridley and John Patterson.
Decor and Other Irish Bars
As they confirm plans for their entertainment, the pub's owners have been hard at work totally transforming its decor for the second time in less than a year, with a trio of Irish flags now proudly flying outside and the building being painted green. That colour scheme has been echoed inside, with the main bar area now also a very striking shade of green, as 'great music, good people and great times' are being promised at the new Tavern.
Other Irish bars to open in the North East over the last year include Dirty Murphy's, formerly The Mushroom, in Newcastle city centre; Liberty Tavern (used to be Liberty House), Cup and Craic, also both in Newcastle; Kerry O'Shea's in Whitley Bay; and Shenanigans in South Shields.
