The Biltmore in Newton Upper Falls reopened its doors Monday after a five-month hiatus, unveiling a new look and a new menu.

“It’s a big upgrade over what it was 35 years ago,” said Barbara McTeague, a Needham resident who was one of the restaurant’s first customers Monday.

The move comes after the owners of Needham restaurant Blue on Highland, Scott Drago and Adam Patti, bought the oldest bar in Newton last year, taking over from former owners Good N U Hospitality and David Rosenberg.

“It’s been a pretty anticipated opening, where we had a lot of regulars who couldn’t wait to see the transformation over here,” Drago said.

Before it was the Biltmore current Newtonians know, it was a 1920s speakeasy, and a bar called the Whittemore Tavern in the 1700s. The renovations unveiled Monday are aimed at keeping some of that history alive, Drago said.

“We restored some of the things back to the day, back to the original floors, kept the tin ceiling, and just added some fixtures, like the Edison lighting … so it would give that sort of industrial feel,” said Drago.

In addition to the ownership, the new Biltmore Tavern will also carry over some menu staples and even bring staff from Blue on Highland. 

“It’s a great family to work for,” said Colleen Ranahan, who’s served at Blue on Highland for a decade and served her first shift at The Biltmore Tavern Monday. “We have a lot of regulars. I meet their families, and then I meet their children, and after 10 years, you get to see them grow up and everything, so it’s a really cool feeling.”

The Biltmore Tavern offers a new take on the New American fare served at Blue on Highland, like fresh pasta and pizza.

“I think that people will taste the quality,” Drago said. “You’ll get a nice meal for a reasonable price.”

On the Biltmore Tavern’s opening day, some regulars of both Blue on Highland and the Biltmore were eager to check out the new digs.

“We’ve been coming here for years and years,” McTeague said. “We’ve been patrons of Blue on Highland since they opened, and so it was kind of like a mixture of both things that we could come back here and know the staff and know the owners.”

That personal touch is what drew McTeague back in after a hiatus.

“It’s a neighborhood place,” McTeague said. “I think it’s nice not to have to go to a chain, and to support a family who runs a family business. It’s amazing.”