The owner of a brand-new Mediterranean-themed bar in Marlow says his first week in business has been packed with ‘love and support’ from locals.

Monty’s arrived at the former site of Clayton’s Bar on Oxford Road earlier this year, officially welcoming customers in on a rolling soft opening basis from Friday, August 9.

Founded by seasoned hospitality brand director Matt Jolley, the venue promised to bring a new flavour to Marlow’s nightlife scene – with an “escapist”, holiday atmosphere inspired by the 53-year-old’s globe-trotting exploits while working for the popular tiki bar Mahiki, including opening its Dubai branch.

And, as word of the opening continues to spread around the town and beyond, Matt took a minute to reflect on the rollercoaster week since business kicked off – and reiterate his dedication to “giving back to the people who have already come down and given such wonderful feedback”.

(Image: Instagram)

Decidedly beach-themed and benefiting from the spell of relatively good weather since the beginning of August, Monty’s specialises in a wide range of cocktails and a holiday-style food menu including lobster rolls, salads and cheeseburgers.

Matt has already begun to roll out the bar’s membership scheme – with such perks as exclusive entry after midnight and wine, tequila and cigar-sampling evenings – but says the invitation-only model is aimed at Marlow-based regulars and “creating a lovely environment” favouring local customers rather than any sort of “elitist” division.

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The 53-year-old said: “A lot of people know the building and its history and wanted to come down and see what we had done with it. They’ve said the nicest things – the experience so far is that everyone has been lovely.

“We’ve had positive feedback on how we’ve updated the building and about the ambience we’ve created – I think the cocktails have gone down well too! It’s been great overall. Everything I could have wished for.”

Monty’s is continuing to gradually expand its opening hours – with Matt excited to see what this weekend’s first Sunday daytime shift will bring after “many conversations” with customers expressing an interest in swapping out their Sunday Roast for a spot of live music, free-flowing rose and summery dishes to (hopefully) match the weather.

With “each day busier than the one before” and admittance on a first-come, first-served basis, it’s well worth checking out when you can. Monty’s will be open from 5pm until late this Friday, August 23, and Saturday, August 24, and from 1pm on Sunday, August 25. What are you waiting for?