Kentish Town's Oxford Tavern will reopen in late March with a new name inspired by the green parakeets who have colonised Hampstead Heath.
The Columbo Group, which runs the Jazz Cafe, Blues Kitchen and Phonox, say it will be more food and drink focused than their other venues, with head chef Ben Allen - ex of Shoreditch restaurant Brat - focusing on cooking over fire in an open kitchen.
The group's CEO Steve Ball said he and business partner Riz Shaikh bought the Victorian pub from a brewery when it came up for sale.
"It's not the sort of business we would normally do," he said. "We usually run large late licence hospitality spaces, but we are both local - I live in Highate, he lives in Camden - we are both in our mid to late 40s, and although we own a couple of nighclubs, they are not for us any more!
"When the pub came onto the market, we thought 'let's buy it and create the kind of local pub we would want to hang out at'."
Dating back to the 1860s, the pub is undergoing a "complete refurbishment," although the bar, an ornate door lobby, and fireplace will stay.
"We are keeping a few beautiful characteristics, but it was also quite unloved and hadn't had much TLC. You wouldn't have wanted to use the toilets, and if you had seen behind the scenes you wouldn't want to keep them."
Ball praised Allen as "an absoloute talent".
"It's his first time as head chef, he has been number two at one of the best restaurants in the city, and he is very passionate about cooking with fire, so we are creating some bespoke grills for him to work his magic.
"It's quite ambitious for Kentish Town, but unlike some of the big chainy restaurants that have opened there, it's our local area and we understand the community. It's an educated risk. We believe in what we are doing, we believe in Ben as a chef, and there's room for another great pub in Kentish Town."
Ball said he hoped the Monday night Jazz at the Oxford Tavern which has temporarily decamped to the Assembly House during the refurb, will return when The Parakeet reopens.
"They have been there for years and we would absoloutely love to have them back."
Of the name change he said it was "very much" inspired by the Heath's tenacious bird population.
"I was walking on the Heath the other day, they are not migratory, so they are still there, even though they are not designed for our winters."
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