I tell my clients that we always work at their pace even if they are not looking to relocate until one years time or they want to arrive just next month. Well for Gary Marshall, he took this to the extreme and after an initial enquiry in May 2008 he has finally just opened his doors for trade here in Puerto Del Carmen. When Gary finally arrived I felt like I was meeting a long lost brother after exchanging emails, Christmas cards for so long. Gary had been visiting Lanzarote for many years and knew exactly what type of bar he wanted to open and immediately Dooley’s in the old town ticked all the right boxes. After taking a reservation and getting the lawyer involved it soon became clear that the landlord of the bar was being difficult to deal with and was not 
being as upfront and honest as we had initially expected. After many wasted weeks the lawyer could see no resolution and it was decided to start to look at other options for Gary. With the Berchen bar being established for over 10 years as a German bar it was not the obvious option but its location opposite the San Antonio hotel fitted perfectly with Gary’s idea of a good quality Cocktail bar that he could run himself.
With over 20 years experience working in the cocktail bar at the World famous "Dorchester hotel" in London it was an obvious choice to continue with what he knew best. With experiences of making cocktails for the likes of Rod Stewart and Tony Curtis to name but a few and also rubbing shoulders with Muhammad Ali, Christopher Reeves and many more stars it’s clear to see that Gary has that special personal touch that has been honed from his years of experience at this top hotel. With no obvious name for his new bar it was by pure chance that one of his best friends called him to see how he was getting on in his new life in Lanzarote. Within seconds of taking the call the name "Raffles Bar" became obvious as his friend was the manager at the world famous Singapore Raffles hotel who specialize in the world renown Singapore Sling Cocktail. So, for Gary, the days of serving the rich and famous are well and truly behind him but he is more than happy to give every customer that star treatment to make Raffles Bar one of the best places to enjoy some first class cocktails and also to find out from Gary what the stars really do get up to after too much Sex On The Beach!
You can find Raffles Bar upstairs on CC Costa Luz which is directly opposite the San Antonio hotel at the Los Pocillos end of Puerto Del Carmen. Gary is open from 7pm nightly till late and if its a bit of banter and a good quality drink you want then Raffles Bar has to be on your list to visit. Gary said "Its been a long road to get here and we have had our ups and down but finally the bar is open and already we have had the thumbs up from many people who have returned to see me night after night. I wanted to create a nice friendly atmosphere and already I have made so many friends who have have promised to return to see me on their next visit to Lanzarote.I also would like to thank Ian,Maria (The Lawyer) and Natasha (The Asesoria) who have provided me with solutions to problems and who have always been there to support and help me to finally get to this point. It’s not been easy but with the right team behind you its a lot easier and you never feel like you are alone on a new island. If you are thinking of making the big move then you must use the right people for the job and Ian at ¡Estupendo! has to be the first contact point for anyone looking for a business in Lanzarote".
