Newton Upper Falls has its neighborhood bar back.

The Biltmore Tavern, at 1205 Chestnut St., opened its doors Monday, July 27, after a five-month closure for renovations and an ownership change. Scott Drago and Adam Patti, who have run Blue on Highland in Needham since 2006, purchased what they call Newton's oldest bar from former owners Good N U Hospitality and David Rosenberg in 2025.

The bar had been shut since February 9 for a gut renovation that Drago said was aimed at honoring the building's past. The space dates to the Whittemore Tavern in the 1700s and operated as a speakeasy starting in 1921.

"We restored some of the things back to the day, back to the original floors, kept the tin ceiling, and just added some fixtures, like the Edison lighting … so it would give that sort of industrial feel," Drago told the Newton Beacon on opening day.

The distinctive rectangular bar remains. The menu pivots from the old Biltmore Bar & Grille's pub fare to New American food, including fresh pasta, pizza, burgers, salads, and local beers on tap. The restaurant is now called The Biltmore Tavern.

Some familiar faces are making the move, too. Server Colleen Ranahan, a 10-year Blue on Highland employee, worked her first Biltmore Tavern shift on opening day. Drago said regulars from both restaurants had been eager for the transformation.

Barbara McTeague, a Needham resident and longtime patron of both the original Biltmore and Blue on Highland, was among the first customers through the door Monday. She called the renovation "a big upgrade over what it was 35 years ago" and said she was drawn back by the chance to support a family-run business where she already knows the staff and owners, according to the Newton Beacon.

The reopening came about two months later than the May timeline Drago and Patti initially projected when they announced the purchase in February, the Needham Observer reported.

Hours and the full menu are at biltmoretavern.com.