JUST when you thought they couldn’t cram another new bar into Stevenson Square news of a rather distinctive arrival, working title: Flok.
Work is due to start soon on converting wacky gift emporium/cafe Incognito at No.5. So where is ToM going to snap up old polaroids, jelly bean cards, cola-flavoured mustache lollipops and £7.99 cat bonnets now? Phew, the shop has been rehoused in Affleck’s.
Flok is a collaboration between Incognito owner Martin Hennin and Justin Parkinson, who runs two splendid bars in West Didsbury – Folk and Wine and Wallop.
Justin is a wine buff, so no surprise that the grape will be a major focus. He tells ToM: “It’s aimed squarely at the more mature city dweller while also cultivating the younger crowd. It will be serving a large, interesting wine list and feature a Coravin list, which makes great vintages available by the glass on a daily basis.
“Our speciality will be sherries and Madeira showing you that there’s more to these drinks than your Gran’s dusty old bottle of Croft Original. Sherry is also the perfect pairing for so many exquisite nibble foods, especially our hand selected and changing varieties of jamon, along with some other charcuterie, cheese and bar snacks.”
Inspiration for the bright, airy interior is the Kafeneon, the old state-owned Greek coffee shops, while the old bank vault below will offer live music and ‘off the wall’ DJs. Sounds a lovely change from all those mega bars places modelled on 19th century sweatshops.