Driving along South Shore Road’s “gold coast” , you’d be hard pressed to find a place to grab a bite and a pint without straining your wallet before you reach Dockyard. That was until Jay Correia took over Paw Paw’s restaurant in December 2005 and transformed it into The Swizzle South Shore, a pub and restaurant fashioned after his popular East End eatery, The Swizzle Inn at Bailey’s Bay.

“People were always saying, ‘You should have something like (The Swizzle Inn) in the West End because it’s such a long trip’,” Mr. Correia said. “When the property became available, I felt it was a great opportunity to bring something similar to the west.”

Although the restaurant officially opened its doors last May after substantial renovations to the kitchen — the entire space had to be gutted and refitted with new appliances and fixtures — Mr. Correia admitted there was little time to refurnish and redecorate the interiors, as closing over the peak tourist season was not an option.

“I think the people who came after we opened were disappointed,” he said, adding that most guests expected a big change from the former Paw Paw’s restaurant.

In March of this year, The Swizzle closed its doors once again to undergo massive changes throughout the bar, dining room and patio area.

“Every new person who has seen the place before comes through the door and goes, ‘Wow!’,” he says. “And that’s exactly what I wanted to achieve.”

With richly coloured dark wood furniture, plenty of natural light and hand painted frescos, the new Swizzle South Shore is an inviting pub with a warm atmosphere that encourages guests to stick around and enjoy a rum swizzle and a long evening of good food and good fun. The addition of an enclosed patio, which will soon be getting plantation style-blinds, means that even on rainy nights customers can enjoy a drink and a meal outdoors.

“Our intent was to create the warm atmosphere, the kind you’d find at a British pub,” he explains of his decorating decisions. “We’re ecstatic about the outcome. Before it was kind of cold and sterile, but we’ve managed to create a cosy environment.”

He adds: “South Shore lends itself well to the casual pub atmosphere. The close proximity to the major hotels and the fact that the area is going through a bit of a renaissance make it a great location.

“We were confident that once our product looked the way we wanted it to people would come.”

While Island Home Development handled the construction, the Irish Pub Company, from Dublin, provided the interior design and custom millwork.

“They gave us a pub that looks like it’s been here for a long time,” Mr. Correia said.

The brickwork in the dining area, provided by Pembroke Tile and Stone, was installed by Chris Kulma, while the hard wood flooring, provided by Woodfellows, was installed by Taylor’d Flooring.

“A lot of different components went into this,” he says. “Everyone came together really well. And we met all of our deadlines, which I’m still kind of shocked by!”

Keen on maintaining similarities between the two restaurants, although both have their own unique style, Mr. Correia notes that business cards are still welcome in the bar, however, the graffiti that characterises The Swizzle Inn is a no-no at South Shore: “We like the look too much!”

Swizzle South Shore’s new look