The iconic Richmond Hotel has been part of the Lismore CBD landscape for around 156 years. From its early days as the 'cottage hotel' on Woodlark Street in the 1870's to its evolution into the Richmond Hotel in 1937, which was decimated by the 28 February 2022 big flood, when the rear deck was tenuously holding together.

(The Richmond Hotel on 6 March 2022)

The Richmond has changed hands three times in the last four years, for various reasons: flood restoration affordability, gaming licenses and restoring a hotel as a commercial entity.

Enter Dan and Kiera Clynes, the new lessees of the Richmond Hotel.

(Kiera and Dan Clynes; ready to inject their personality into the Lismore community)

Dan and Kiera's vision it to build a multi-facet hospitality venue that will not involve gambling.

"There will be no TAB, and it will not return back to an everyday pub," Dan told the Lismore App as preparations were being made to open the old Miss Lizzie's Cafe, now called the Reasonable Doubt Society, this Saturday.

Dan and Kiera explained what the finished product will look like when the renovations are complete for the Richmond Hotel. Like many of the larger businesses in Lismore, the work will be done in stages.

"The venue itself will have three dining rooms. We've got a wine bar cafe at the front of the venue, (Reasonable Doubt Society), we'll have a bar and grill set up, so big steaks, and a big emphasis on seafood.

"The plan is to have a public bar element, but it'll be a cocktail lounge, so both seating all the way through. We'll have an arcade at the back for families, so kid-friendly, and then a speakeasy bar."

The speakeasy bar has its history around prohibition times in the U.S. Entry was often password-protected to avoid detection. For Dan and Kiera, the speakeasy will be downstairs where the current poolrooms are situated.

"It will have a dedicated trap door built into the venue that leads down to the speakeasy. If you think about the old days, it will be like a cigar bar, that type of space."

Also in the plans is a deck over the side alley that will close the walkway off to the public, al fresco dining undercover at the front of the building and open deck dining at on the deck at the back of the building.

As for the food, it could well become one of Lismore's premier dining venues, like The Loft was prior to the 2022 floods.

"During our years in Sydney, I trained with Neil Perry and Tetsuya in fine dining restaurants. So, the Rock Pool. I was with the Rock Pool group for eight years. I've been cooking 24 years now, a long time, pretty much my whole life.

"I've worked a lot with East 33, and they pick and choose the best oysters, Sydney rock oysters, in particular, from north to south, so they take their pick of estuaries. I've done a lot of work with them, and hope to have a roaming oyster bar out on that back deck at least once a week.

"When I came up here, I worked over at the Charcoal. I came up here for Beef Week and did some work with Jack's Creek. Jacks Creek, out of Tamworth, and slaughtered in Casino, is the world's best steak. They have a grade, I think it's a grade six to seven, full-blood wagyu that is known as the world's best steak. It's won the award two years in a row, and it will win again this year."

That part of Dan and Kiera's plan is expected to open in 10 to 12 weeks because Dan want's to open the kitchen so people can see the chef's cooking their food. This involves removing part of a wall and reversing the kitchen layout, so will take some time to complete.

Dan is indigenous, born on the other side of Dubbo.

"So Wiradjuri, and now cooking on Bundjalung land. We are really excited to get open. I think it will just become a big restaurant with multifaceted eateries, good little hubs for people to catch up with friends and family and stuff with amazing food on the back balcony.

"This is super exciting...super, super exciting."

As we mentioned, Stage 1 of Dan and Kiera's plan is to open the Reasonable Doubt Society tomorrow. So, pop into the Richmond Hotel on Woodlark Street, say hi and order a coffee and a pastry.

2026 is the year of construction and growth for Lismore, and the Richmond Hotel is going to play its part.