12 Bars You Didn’t Know Were Celebrity-Owned

Many celebrities, whether they are TV or movie stars, sports stars, or music stars, tend to throw their hat in the ring for side projects that they’re passionate about. For many, it includes opening up their own bars. Now, there’s many out there that are obviously owned by celebrities, like Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen & Bar, or Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. However, there are many bars out there that you may have had a drink at yourself, and not even known that it was owned by one of your favorite celebrities.

We’ve combed through restaurants all around the world and have found a list of 13 bars that you probably haven’t realized are owned by celebrities. Just by the names of the bars alone, you would never guess that a star was behind the creation. From across the U.S., to Spain, to London, we’re going to take you on a tour of many popular bars and tell you all about the celebrities that own them.

Antonio Banderas is an actor who was born and raised in Spain. His career began gracing the stage in professional productions in Spain, and he eventually made his way to Hollywood when he was 32 years old. He is most famous for his role as Zorro in “The Mask of Zorro” and its sequel. For people who grew up in the early 2000s, they may know him as the dad in “Spy Kids.”

Through Banderas’s fame and success in the states, he still regularly spends time in Spain — whether that be producing theater shows or opening a restaurant. In Malaga, where Banderas grew up, he became a shareholder for a historical tapas bar called El Pimpi in 2017. This restaurant originally opened in 1971, and over the years it has been a place for artists to meet and create new work.

El Pimpi is located along the winding streets of the city center of Malaga. It’s a popular place for both tourists and locals, and it can get quite busy in the evenings. When you first enter the bar and restaurant, it looks like the foyer of someone’s home. As you explore further, you come across a long bar, and even deeper there are multiple different dining rooms that are tucked away in various corners. Here, you can enjoy traditional Spanish tapas dishes, cocktails, local wine, and beers. Bandaras has also helped open a second location, which is in Marbella, Spain.

elpimpi.com/en

(952) 228-990

Calle Granada, 62 Calle Alcazabilla – 29015 Málaga, Spain

You may know Pete Davidson for his work on Saturday Night Live, which he became a cast member of in 2014. Although Davidson is an actor, he is most well-known for his stand up comedy routines — which he used to originally audition for SNL. He’s also known for dating some of the most well-known female celebrities around, like Ariana Grande and Kim Kardashian. Born and raised in New York (Statin Island, to be specific), Davidson is no stranger to the culture of bars and dining in New York City. So, when he’s not writing sketches for SNL or going on dates with his next famous girlfriend — Davidson has acted as an investor in a popular New York City bar called Pebble Bar.

Pebble Bar opened in 2022, and it isn’t your average NYC bar. It’s located in a 19th century townhouse, and the bar fills three full floors. Situated in the bustling Rockefeller Center, the townhouse almost looks out of place on the street. It’s extremely close to the Saturday Night Live soundstage, and it’s often visited by cast and crew after they’re finished with work. Every floor of the bar has a different vibe — the second floor is a classic cocktail bar, the third floor serves light bites and drinks, and the fourth floor is for private parties. There is even a secret entrance on the fourth floor that connects Pebble Bar to the NBC studios.

pebblebarnyc.com

(917) 540-4494

67 W 49th St, New York, NY 10112

Doris Day was a star during the incredible age of Old Hollywood. Known for her roles in “Calamity Jane,” “Lucky Me,” and “Pillow Talk,” Day captured the hearts of many as she graced the movie theatre screens throughout the ’40s, ’50s, and even into the ’60s. She was also known to be an activist for animal rights, and ran “Doris Day Animal League” in Carmel, California.

Day didn’t stop with just running her own animal activist league, though. She would often visit a hotel over in Carmel By The Sea called the Cypress Inn. Eventually, Day purchased the inn herself, and made it one of the most pet-friendly locations in California. Later, Day opened up a restaurant in the inn called “Terry’s Lounge,” which became one of the Old Hollywood star’s favorite bars.

Terry’s Lounge has an Old Hollywood feel to it to this day, and has a mixture of Moroccan and Spanish Colonial design. At the bar, you can enjoy an extensive wine list that features many local wines from Carmel Valley. There is also a cocktail menu which is supposed to transport the guest back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. For food, there is a full lunch and dinner menu, as well as an all-day bar snack menu. If you’ve brought your dog along with you, they won’t be hungry, either. There is a “yappy hour” menu just for them.

carmelterrys.com

(831) 620-7454

Lincoln St & 7th Ave, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921

Bad Bunny is a singer, songwriter, and rapper from Puerto Rico. Almost all of his music is performed in Spanish, and he has built a large fan base in the United States. He’s won three Grammy Awards and is known for songs like “Mia,” “La Cancion,” and “Un Dia.” He often collaborates with other popular artists as well, like Dua Lipa and Drake.

In 2022, Bad Bunny opened Gekko – a Japanese-inspired steakhouse. This steakhouse isn’t a simple restaurant, however. It has luxury dining, a dark and mysterious ambiance, and has an entire lounge that turns into a club. The lounge often features popular DJs who play late into the night — and it’s known to draw in many celebrities.

Bad Bunny has infused his Puerto Rican influence into a lot of things on the menu, including drinks. There are unique cocktails, like the Cafecito Con Leche, which translates to “little coffee with milk.” It has Grey Goose Vodka, Kahlua, Owne’s Nitro Espresso, and Coquito. There’s another drink called Beber Conmigo which means “drink with me,” and it’s made with 818 Blanco Tequila, Licor 43, and passion fruit. For an upscale night in Miami, Gekko is the place to be.

gekko.com

(305) 423-8884

8 SE 8th St, Miami, FL 33131

Michael Imperioli is an American actor who is best known for his role in the HBO series “The Sopranos.” More recently, he’s been seen in “Blue Bloods” and “The White Lotus.” Imperioli married interior designer Victoria Imperioli in 1996, and as of this publication, they reside in New York City. The Imperioli’s raised three children together, and once they were empty-nesters, they decided to open up a bar together.

The bar is called Scarlet Lounge, and it’s located in the Upper West Side of New York City. With him being the socialite that he is, and his wife an interior designer, they became the perfect match to bring their own unique flair to the collection of bars in the Upper West Side. The bar has a bright, chic, and sleek design to it, with deep red satin couches that line the walls, gold light fixtures, and warm lighting which illuminates the alcohol bottles displayed behind the bar.

At the Scarlet Lounge, you can expect to be entertained with live music and endless cocktails. On Monday evenings, jazz music flows through the lounge with pianists and vocalist. On Sundays, the music is reserved for different pianists who come to perform. The menu features prohibition era cocktails you should be familiar with, like a sidecar, French 75, and gin and tonic. There are signature cocktails as well, along with beer, wine, small food plates, and desserts.

scarletloungenyc.com

468 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024

Peyton Manning is one of the most well-known American athletes. He played for the NFL, and was a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos. Overall, he’s won two Super Bowls, and has been featured in hundreds of commercials – making him well-known even to people who don’t necessarily follow football. Now retired from the NFL, Manning has spent most of his time in Tennessee. He is on the faculty at the University of Tennessee as of this publication, and has also opened his own bar in Knoxville.

Manning’s bar is called Saloon 16, and it’s actually located inside a Hilton Hotel. The hotel is the Graduate Hilton Hotel, which features an interior that makes you feel like you’re back in college. The rooms look like nicely kept dorm rooms, the communal areas feature historic photos of Tennessee’s history, while the Saloon 16 bar looks like a fraternity house’s living room.

At Saloon 16, you will see many old photos of Manning along the walls, newspaper clippings, and vintage jukeboxes to play tunes out of. You can stop here for an ice cold beer from the tap, a classic burger, and even enjoy live music. Don’t miss out on the breakfast that’s served here, either. You can enjoy a delicious mimosa while scarfing down a plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon.

hilton.com/en/hotels/tysgkgu-graduate-knoxville/dining

(865) 437-5500

1706 Cumberland Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916

Justin Theroux is an American actor who was born to a family of writers. He originally was going to pursue a career in visual arts, but he fell into the world of acting instead. He began his career onstage, and then eventually moved to the big screen. Known for “Mulholland Drive,” “Maniac,” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” he’s had an incredibly successful career.

In 2020, Theroux helped open up a bar called Ray’s. It now has multiple locations, but the original location is in the Lower East Side. The goal of the bar is to create a place for friends to simply hang out. New York City has become a place for trendy or aesthetically pleasing bars, and Theroux and the rest of the team that opened Ray’s weren’t interested in buying into that. Instead, they created a bar where you could get comfortable on couches, enjoy a beer on tap, and “hang your hat,” as its tagline says.

At Ray’s, all of the cocktails have the word “Ray” in them. Drinks like the Lana Del Ray, Ray Charles, Miley Ray Cyrus, and the Marga-Ray-Ta all offer a thirst-quenching option when hanging at the bar. You could also order various beers and shots. There’s classic pub grub in case you get hungry as well.

raysbarnyc.com

Multiple locations

Susan Sarandon has been in countless successful movies, like “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Thelma and Louise,” and “Little Women.” She’s worked in Hollywood consistently through the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and up to the present day. She’s also known to be a political and social activist, and is incredibly passionate about helping people affected by natural disasters, advocating for the LGBTQ community, and has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

When Sarandon isn’t acting or working to create change in the world, she may be found playing ping-pong in her spare time. Sarandon is also one of the owners of Spin, which is a franchise of table tennis bars and clubs. The original owners of Spin began the company by hosting weekly ping pong parties, and Sarandon attended one. She eventually became a co-founder, and helped Spin to become the success it is today.

Today, there are nine locations of Spin across many major cities in the United States. Each location is unique, but at the core, they have a large bar to provide drinks while people play on the Olympic-grade ping pong tables. At the bar, you can grab domestic and craft beers, wine, seasonal cocktails, and bar snacks as well.

wearespin.com

Multiple locations

Guy Ritchie is a British film director and producer. Ever since he was a child, he knew that he wanted to make movies in one way or another. He slowly worked his way up into directing, and he eventually directed “Sherlock Holmes,” which became a blockbuster hit. Ritchie was also married to Madonna for eight years, and had two children with her.

As a creative person, Richie’s endeavors didn’t stop at filmmaking. In 2019, he opened his very own bar and restaurant called The Lore of the Land. It’s located in London, and spans three entire floors. The pub embraces both old, traditional English style with new and modern English style. The ground floor features craft beer and a wine list, and the first floor is where you can sit down for classic British food. The top floor is for special events.

The bar itself is classically fashioned from copper and pewter, and it serves a large variety of beers (including Gritchie beers, made by Ritchie), cocktails, wine, spirits, and more — all of which are hand selected by Ritchie.

gritchiepubs.com

(020) 3927-4480

4 Conway St, London W1T 6BB

Zach Braff is most known for playing Dr. John Dorian on the TV show “Scrubs,” and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for the role. He is also a director, and was nominated for an episode of “Ted Lasso” that he directed. As of this publication, Braff continues to split his time between acting and directing, and in his spare time, he is the owner of one of the locations of a small chain in New York City called The Mermaid restaurants and bars.

There are a few locations and iterations of The Mermaid bars and restaurants throughout NYC, however Braff is only a partner of Mermaid Oyster Bar – located in Greenwich Village. This bar is light, airy, and makes guests feel like they are dining in a seaside town. To go along with your choice of oysters, there are many different cocktails, wine, and beer to choose from.

If you visit during happy hour, you can get fun drinks like a Pink Flamingo (gin, strawberry, and basil), a Hot And Dirty (vodka, olive, and peppadew), or more classic choices like an aperol spritz or margarita — all for $10. On the regular menu, you can enjoy drinks like an espresso martini or a Montego Mermaid (mezcal, chipotle, hibiscus, and lime). For fun, eclectic cocktails in NYC, this is a great spot.

themermaidnyc.com/mermaid-oyster-bar-greenwich-village

(212) 260-0100

89 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012

Whether you know Blake Shelton from his successful country music career, or see him weekly on “The Voice,” you’ve probably come in contact with his work in one way or another. Having lived in Nashville since he was 17 years old, Shelton knows his way around the city. With many celebrity-owned bars in Nashville, it would be wrong if Shelton wasn’t included on that list.

Ole Red is incredibly popular in Nashville, and while Shelton is a part owner in the bar, it wasn’t its very first location. Shelton opened the first Ole Red in his hometown of Tishomingo, Oklahoma. Shortly after, he opened the Nashville location — and since then, four more locations have been opened. Now, Ole Red is more than just a bar. Each location features live music, and many people who perform there are up and coming stars.

As for the bar, there is a ton of classic bar food that you can chow down on while enjoying the live music. With nachos, fried pickles, burgers, and more, you won’t go hungry. For drinks, there are plenty of draft beers, canned beers, wine, shots, and cocktails to choose from. Many of the cocktails are variations on known classics, like Sex On Some Beach and Mango Sunrise. There’s a wide selection of options here, so you’re bound to find something that you enjoy.

olered.com

Multiple locations

Olivia Culpo first landed herself in the public eye when she won both Miss USA and Miss Universe. She was actually the first American to win Miss Universe in 15 years, and many people were drawn to her for winning both pageants. Now, she is a well-known model, and shares many behind the scenes looks into her daily life on social media.

Originally from Rhode Island, Culpo partnered with her father and cousin to open a restaurant in her home state. The restaurant is called Back40, and it’s a cozy and casual bar and restaurant that serves American comfort food and drinks. With a large bar at the front of the restaurant, you can cozy up and order some comfort plates while sipping on a delicious cocktail.

The drink menu at Back40 has seasonal sips, signature cocktails, and wine. If you visit in the winter, an Eggnog Mudslide or a Chai Old-Fashioned would be perfect. We’ll have to check back in the warmer months to see how the seasonal drinks change, but we can already tell that Back40 knows how to follow a theme. For some bar bites, you can enjoy baked mac and cheese, fish and chips, burgundy pot roast pie, and a classic burger.

back40ri.com

(401) 667-4869

20 S County Trl, North Kingstown, RI 02852