...but of course
Liverpool nightlife certainly knows how to make the headlines but whatever your thoughts on our beloved Party City, you certainly can't knock it for consistently bringing something totally unique and off the wall.
You never quite know quite know which rabbit hole you’re going to end up hopping down and this weekend just gone we were lucky to be chasing the White Rabbit to a very important date at one of the more wacky additions to the drinks scene.
Slap bang in the middle of the city’s most up and coming urban scene, Kiosk gets its name following the renovation of an abandoned security hut at the gates of the defunct Cain's brewery.
Many people would think: right, let’s knock this damn eyesore down. But not the team behind Liverpool Botanical Garden. Nope. Those guys conceived not one but two brand new (and uber cool) watering holes just a stone’s throw away from each other but totally different in design.
Making their homes at the newly-opened Baltic Market, which has breathed life back into the old Cain’s Brewery, Dockleaf and Kiosk are siblings by association but chalk and cheese in their concepts.
While Dockleaf is more your standard hipster hotspot, with its botanical décor and craft beer selection, Kiosk is the weird kid of the family. Seating only 20 people under its low-rise roof and 50 more on its makeshift terrace, it has that certain kind of modern-but-retro charm.
Designed to function as a sort of "revolving pop up", according to co-owner Conor Foley, Kiosk will be constantly evolving with the seasons and redecorated each time to boot.
With big plans for secret dining clubs, big brand collaborations and partnerships with other local businesses, Kiosk promises to bloom into a creative space. I mean, I can’t wait for Christmas but that’s all I’m going to say on the matter for now.
As it currently stands, in this freakishly glorious weather we’re experiencing, Kiosk embodies a traditional Italian summer in all its blue and Sicilian yellow glory. Purposely kitsch to the eye and 100 percent authentic when it comes to the menu, both the food and drink offerings at Kiosk will be kept purposefully minimal. Menus will be stripped down to let the theme of the moment shine through.
The Kiosk team have joined forces with the brains behind New Bird (you might remember it better as Ta’amiya) and the former head chef at Puschka. Alongside beverages such as a vermouth and tonic, an Aperol spritz or a beer, you can enjoy sandwiches and charcuterie meats using traditional Italian ingredients.
So, if you’re getting kind of immune to candyfloss cocktails, burgers topped with everything but the kitchen sink and grungy neon lighting, give Kiosk a go.
Oh and while you’re here, give them a follow on Instagram @kioskpresents to stay in the loop because this clever little chameleon is here to keep you on your toes, buddy.
*Find Stephanie Whalley's blog, Hungry Harriet, here
