A Durban cocktail bar that is famous for its signature and classic drinks with appetizers on Florida Road called The Charlatan Neighbourhood Cocktail Bar has decided to shut its doors.
The bar, which is in a raw old industrial building with an open face brick facade, took pride in making sure that they bring something unique to the cocktail bar scene in the city.
In a Facebook post, the team said that they would like to thank everyone who has supported them over these past two years and made The Charlatan the truly special place that it was.
“To all our Charlatan family, We trust you are all keeping safe & healthy in these testing times. It’s with great sadness that we must bid you farewell and shut our doors. We’d like to thank everyone who has supported us over these past 2 years & made The Charlatan the trully (sic) special place that it was. We’ve spent countless great evenings together, hosted epic 1st Thursday’s & forged many friendships. Making amazing cocktails, supporting local Musicians & artists has been a true privilege & a testament to how amazing Durban is.
We will miss you all & never stop being awesome. THANK YOU!!” they wrote.
They closed off the statement with a quote from one of their all-time favourites by Raekwon, Wu-Tang Clan which reads: “If you can't live, you dying, You give or you buy-in. Keep it real or keep it moving, keep grinding, keep shining."
To all our Charlatan family, We trust you are all keeping safe & healthy in these testing times. It’s with great...
Posted by The Charlatan on Monday, September 7, 2020
In an interview with IOL Lifestyle when they opened two years ago, co-owner Chris Strover said the reason they created The Charlatan Neighbourhood Cocktail Bar the way they did, was because they wanted to create something that they could mould into whatever the neighbourhood needs.
Strover said that they emphasized “neighbourhood” because Florida Road is very active; everyone knows each other there. So they wanted everyone - from the chief executive to the PA - to feel welcomed in their premises.
He said that no one at this side of the river does proper, made-from-scratch cocktails, hence they decided to be a cocktail bar. Everything they made was in-house.
The restaurant joins other popular South African restaurants like The Kitchen, Exhibit A, and The Stack, Cafe 1999, Casalinga Ristorante Italiano, and The Whippet who have also had to close due to the difficulties that many restaurants are facing, due to the pandemic and the regulations the government has put in place.