Bar Luce, Milan
Wes Anderson-designed bar; Grand Budapest Hotel-themed
Within the newly opened Prada Foundation, an art and culture complex, is a bardesigned by film director Wes Anderson. Bar Luce opened in May and feels like a set for one of his visually striking films. Complete with a Steve Zissou pinball machine, the bar could easily become a must-visit destination for Anderson fans. Although he has said he could not film in it as there is “no ideal angle”, he thinks it would be “a beautiful place to write a movie”, adding “I tried to make it a bar I would want to spend my own non-fictional afternoons in.” On the menu are a selection of pastries, coffee and alcoholic drinks.
• ondazioneprada.org. Open daily 9am-10pm
Nicos’ Taverna, Stockholm
Abba Mama Mia!-themed restaurant-bar
Fans of Abba and the hit film and Broadway show Mamma Mia! will soon be able to have a “bloody good time” in Björn Ulvaeus’s own Greek taverna – like the one seen in the movie. Due to open in January 2016, Ulvaeus has set about creating a world where the characters of Mamma Mia! and the music of Abba come to life. The waiting staff will not only put on shows for diners, they will also involve them. “My vision is that the Greek taverna will be like a Mamma Mia! bubble where people can just have a bloody good time,” says Ulvaeus. “I can see the audience laughing and singing along and having loads of fun. I want to create the same party spirit that the musical is known for.”
Walter’s Coffee Roastery, Istanbul
Breaking Bad-themed coffee shop
Deniz Kosan has created an unlikely homage to the meth-cooking world of Walt and Jesse in a stylish Istanbul coffee shop. The stainless steel grey and bright yellow colour scheme, and science lab decor places you into the world of Breaking Bad, with baristas wearing yellow coveralls. Coffee is served in chemical beakers, with accompaniments in smaller measuring cylinders so you can concoct your coffee like a scientific experiment.
• walterscoffeeroastery.com; on Instagram at walterscoffee. Open daily 10am-11pm
The Owls are Not What They Seem, London
Twin Peaks-inspired pop-up dining experience
This pop-up from immersive events company Lemonade and Laughing Gas runs from 21 October to 21 November. This night in the world of Twin Peaks will, according to the organisers, feel like “a tour of this slice of small-town America, and a slap up at the Diner, with some familiar faces here and there.” The £66.50 ticket includes a three-course meal, along with “one of the finest cocktails in the Tri-Counties” and entry to the Owl’s Nest bar. If that seems a bit steep, the £6 Owl’s Nest Ticket gives you a “quick pit-stop at a roadside bar, with potential to turn into a full on mind-bending, backwards-talking experience”. Entry to the Twin Peaks-themed bar and “bespoke cocktails and late-night happenings” are on offer, although there may be concerns over how exclusive a drinking den can be when tickets are £6.
• notwhattheyseem.com
The Lockhart, Toronto
Harry Potter-esque bar
Named after the eccentric Professor Gilderoy Lockhart from the Harry Potter series, the Lockhart is drawing in fans of the wizard from around the globe. Despite its co-owners being keen to insist the bar, in Toronto’s Little Portugal, is merely wizard themed (mainly for copyright reasons), there are plenty of nods to JK Rowling’s world. On entry you are greeted by a mural of a stag patronus, the defensive charm conjured by Harry, a menu of cocktails entitled “potions and elixirs” and a bar watched over by a Hagrid figurine.
• thelockhart.ca. Open Tues-Fri 5pm-till late, Sat-Sun 10.30am-till late
HR Giger Bar, Chur, Switzerland
Alien-themed bar
Designed by the Swiss surrealist painter Hans Rudolf Giger, part of the Oscar-winning special effects team on Ridley Scott’s Alien, this bar appears to be furnished with props looted from the set. The ceilings, walls, chairs, tables and even the floor are all modelled in the engraved biomechanical style that gave the films their unique look. Gun metal grey is the order of the day with huge high-backed metal chairs reminiscent of Ridley Scott’s colossal spaceships placed along the bar.
• gigerbar.com. Open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 8am-5pm
Central Perk, Liverpool
Friends-themed coffee shop
A little slice of New York in the heart of Liverpool, this franchised spin-off is a replica of the Cental Perk coffee shop that for 10 series and 236 episodes was integral to one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. With regular movie nights and Friends quizzes (on a classic episode) held every week, fans won’t be short of reasons to grab a coffee … but competition for that sofa is always stiff. A nice touch by the owners is the monthly “Find Phoebe” live music nights, where the best of Liverpool’s acoustic scene keeps the spirit of Central Perk alive.
• central-perk.co.uk. Open Mon-Tues, Thurs-Sat 8am-7pm, Weds 8am-9pm, Sun 11am-4pm
The Hobbit Pub, Southampton
Lord of the Rings-themed pub
Once the subject of a copyright challenge over its name that resulted in Stephen Fry and Sir Ian McKellen offering to pay the pub’s reported $100 a year fee for copyright of the name, this pub has been serving Lord of the Rings cocktails for over 20 years. Drinkers can try the “Fellowship T-shirt Quest”, which involves trying each of the 13 cocktails named after a character – and ticking them off on the quest card. On completion, there is a free T-shirt and the opportunity to purchase the limited edition Nazgul cocktail, consisting of black sambuca, double blackcurrant liqueur and cola. The pub recommends that the quest is not completed in a single visit.
• thehobbitpub.co.uk. Open Mon-Fri 4pm-3am, Sat noon-3am, Sun 4pm-2am
Jekyll and Hyde, Edinburgh
Jekyll and Hyde-inspired pub
Stepping into this pub – part of the Eerie Pub Company – is like entering a Victorian-era Auld Reekie. The interior features heavy, dark wood and large iron chandeliers that combine to create an immersive yet warm gothic pub. There are, as with the pub’s namesake, two sides to its cocktail menu with the seven deadly sins (£4.50 each) and seven contrary virtues (£5.50 each) for those not entirely sure if they are a Jekyll or a Hyde.
• eerie-pubs.co.uk. Open daily noon-1am
The Way Station, New York
Doctor Who-inspired bar and music venue
The Way Station should be a definite point in space and time for any Whovians in Brooklyn. Decorated in retro wallpaper, with deep red button-back seating and featuring a full size Tardis, it isn’t hard to imagine Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor stopping by for a drink himself. He’d certainly be impressed with the cocktail menu, with individual cocktails ($9 each) for all the Doctors of the modern era. Fans of the show gather every Sunday at 4pm for Doctor Who and other sci-fi-related screenings.
• waystationbk.blogspot.co.uk. Open Mon-Thurs 4pm-2am, Fri 4pm-4am, Sat 3pm-4am, Sun 3pm-2am
Source: https://www.theguardian.com
