Tucked away down an alley off Southgate Street, the Café Rene was previously the Greyfriars Inn.
The medieval building is reputed to have six ghosts and a poltergeist as permanent residents. Amongst the ghosts said to frequent the pub are a 12th century monk who roams around with a candle, an elderly woman, and a ginger-bearded middle aged man. The most active ghost is a poltergeist which has been known to pour itself spirits from the optics, smash glasses, and throw packets of crisps around.
The adverts describe the pub as ‘Gloucester’s best kept secret!’ The owners. Little Pub Company, converted the premises into a French style restaurant, café and bar in March 1998. Trowbridge based Ushers bought out the Little Pub Company. The pub was extended into the extensive vaulted cellars that once housed Washbourn’s wine vaults. It reopened under new management on Friday 15th June 2001 at 6 pm.
Café Rene was the only pub in Gloucester to apply for a 24 hour licence following the relaxation of the licensing laws in November 2005. During the Great Gloucestershire flood of July 2007, when mains water supply had been cut off due to contamination at the Mythe water works near Tewkesbury, Café Rene could source their very own water supply – the pub has an ancient well of Roman origin.
Managers:
1998 Myles Ball
2000 Terry Burton
2005,2006 Paul Soden and Jacqui Bisset (Jacqui tragically died on 6th February 2006)
