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Hottest bar openings in July 2018
By Owen BellwoodJuly was a busy month for bar openings, with the latest venue from chef Adam Handling, a virtual shooting range and the fourth venture from the team behind Mr Fogg’s all welcoming their first guests.
Bar Caló in Los Angeles features in our list of the hottest bars to open in July
It’s been a bumper month of hot new bar openings, with everything from a rooftop cocktail lounge to an underground shooting gallery opening their doors for the world’s discerning drinkers.
July saw Suerte Tequila open its new Tequila tasting room, Mr Fogg’s launch its latest London venue and Bring Me The Horizon singer Oliver Sykes open an arcade bar in Sheffield, UK.
Click through the gallery to discover some of our favourite bars to have opened in July.
Missed out on our list of the top openings from June? Catch up on the best new watering holes here.
Iron Stag, London
Chef Adam Handling has opened Iron Stag in London’s Hoxton Square, situated below his restaurant, The Frog Hoxton.
The bar’s offering has been developed by Handling, alongside Scout owner Matt Whiley and the head of spirit and cocktail development at Duck & Waffle, Rich Woods.
Iron Stag, which will have a focus on Scotch whisky, offers a comprehensive menu of cocktails, beers, wine and food, including pre-bottled twists on the classic whisky Highball and sharing kegged cocktails on tap.
El Conejo, Sayulita
Tequila brand Suerte opened the doors to its tasting room and restaurant in Sayulita, Mexico, last month.
El Conejo boasts a sculptural tahona cut into the wall, which will give patrons the opportunity to understand the scale of the two-tonne stone that Suerte uses to crush the agave used to make its Tequila.
The new bar sources local produce to create healthy, Asian-inspired cuisine and the bar will serve a number of Suerte signature cocktails, plus a number of exclusive small batch Tequilas.
Mr Fogg’s House of Botanicals, London
The Mr Fogg’s Collection has expanded its portfolio with the opening of its latest London venue, Mr Fogg’s House of Botanicals.
Mr Fogg’s House of Botanicals is the latest project from Charlie Gilkes and Duncan Stirling’s Inception Group, and will showcase the fruits of Mr Fogg’s travels across two floors of exotic flora and fauna.
The new venue features two unforgettable drinking experiences across the bar’s two floors. The downstairs cocktail menu will showcase Mr Fogg’s most unusual botanical finds, while the upstairs bar’s The Secret Language of Flowers menu has been inspired by the Victorian tradition of expressing secret emotions through the giving of certain flowers.
Bar Calò, Los Angeles
LA’s latest dining and drinks venue, Bar Calò, officially opened last month.
Founded by husband and wife team Jaime Turrey and Brooke Fruchtman, Bar Caló was inspired by Turrey’s Chicano heritage, the couple’s travels to Mexico City and their daily experience living and working in the community.
The bar’s beverage programme is led by Jeremy Simpson, who pairs spirits with hyper-seasonal produce, including some from the bar’s own garden. Every week the bar will feature a different ‘Market Margarita’, made using ingredients sourced from the farmer’s market.
Brewhouse & Kitchen, London
Brewhouse & Kitchen launched its newest venue in Hoxton, which has become the area’s first on-site brewpub and brewery.
The Hoxton venue boasts towering windows and exposed brick surfaces alongside a tasteful mid-century interior. The bar also features an outdoor seating area, alongside the 50-strong capacity restaurant.
The venue will serve as Hoxton’s only on-site craft brewery and pub, and boasts a new summer menu, complete with seasonal beer pairing suggestions and 23 vegan and vegetarian options.
Church: Temple of Fun, Sheffield
Bring Me The Horizon frontman Oliver Sykes has taken over the listed Osborn Works in Sheffield’s Kelham Island district and transformed it into Church: Temple of Fun.
Home to the English city’s first arcade bar and inspired by South American religious iconography, Church has a 100% vegan bar offering a selection of signature cocktails.
Alongside an arcade that includes playstation gaming pods, retro arcade machines and a pool table, guests can enjoy a fully vegan food menu provided by local eatery Make No Bones, which will be serving up its signature avocado wings, Seitan ribs and vegan burgers.
Upper 5th, London
London’s newest rooftop venue joined the growing list of sky-high drinking spots in Shoreditch last month, having taken over the fifth floor of the Courthouse Hotel.
Upper 5th boasts panoramic views of the capital and a cocktail menu by created by bartender Danut Fundulea to complement the bar’s selection of small plates, sharing options and shisha menu.
The London venue features The Upper Bar, available for drinks with standing tables and stunning views, and The Garden, which is for reservations only and includes cabana sofa-bed seating.
Marigot Bay, Manchester
A new Caribbean-inspired venue is now open for business and can be found within King’s Court of Altrincham, Manchester, UK, called Marigot Bay.
Named in honour of Marigot Bay in St Lucia, the Manchester venue takes imbibers through the many tropical islands of the Caribbean via chilled island beers, tropical cocktails and some of the finest Caribbean coffee and cocoa available.
The bar has a focus on Caribbean origins, including a selection of beers, such as Banks of Barbados, and a selection of rums from across the Caribbean islands, including Chairman’s Reserve of St Lucia and Appleton Estate of Jamaica.
Mac & Wild, London
Scotland-inspired restaurant Mac & Wild has brought a slice of Highland life to London with the opening of its new virtual shooting range and whisky bar.
Located on the lower ground floor of Mac & Wild’s Devonshire Square site, the Shooting Range and Whisky Bar has been “designed to satisfy beginners and professionals alike”.
The venue has also teamed up with Glenfiddich and Monkey Shoulder to create “unique and interesting” whisky serves and the bar incorporates two virtual shooting lanes equipped with shooting systems and replica shotguns.
Harvey Nichols, London
UK-based department store Harvey Nichols has re-opened its newly refurbished Fifth Floor Bar in the chain’s flagship Knightsbridge store.
The London-based bar has had a complete redesign and also offers a revamped drinks and cocktail list, including a selection of classic, non-alcoholic and London-inspired libations.
Harvey Nichols worked closely with UK-based design agency Keane Clarkson on the venue’s design, which has been inspired by rich earthy tones and muted shades of pink and grey.