Haunt MCR, a brand-new cocktail, wine and coffee destination opened this week in the former Caffè Nero premises, near the Midland Hotel on the Mount Street corner of Peter Street.
Haunt MCR will initially open with a soft-launch period, set to continue until lockdown restrictions are eased. During this time, there will be a limited drinks menu on offer and no food being served.
When allowed to operate properly, the new all-day venue will focus on exceptional coffee, cocktails, wines and stuzzichini - the kind of informal ‘finger food’ that, together with apertivo, has become synonymous in Italy with rousing the appetite.
Haunt MCR’s stuzzichini menu will offer small and large plates, and there will also be a breakfast offering and a selection of traditional Italian pastries with coffee provided by speciality coffee roasters North Star of Leeds.
The new destination hopes to provide remarkable service in a warm and relaxed setting - whether it’s for a Monday morning coffee or Friday night wine.
The aperitivo drinks menu features a numer of spritzes, including Aperol Spritz, Hugo Spritz, Tarragon Spritz, Bellini and Rhubarb Fizz and classic cocktails including Negroni, Boulevardier, Gin Martini and Espresso Martini.
Haunt’s exclusively Italian wine list will take guests on a journey through the grapes of the North to South of Italy. Expect some familiar favourites, topped up with lesser-known varietals produced with limited intervention to highlight the terrior.
Haunt’s sophisticated and welcoming interiors see plush booths, alongside informal bar seating and quartz topped surfaces.
The team behind the new venue is Will Parkinson from a private banking background and Sam Wheatley, formerly of the Pivovar Group and Andrew Pern’s Star Inn Group.
Parkinson said, “The insolvency of private equity backed hospitality businesses has created a void for creative new independent concepts in their wake. People working in the surrounding area will understand the continental meaning of Aperitivo from their trips to Europe and in particular, Italy. Haunt is the first of two venues we have secured funding for this year.”
For more information visit www.haunt-mcr.co.uk or on Instagram: @Haunt.MCR