FROM the brains behind Six by Nico, a brand-new cocktail bar will open in Glasgow this week promising customers a unique and immersive experience.
Similar to the concept of Nico Simeone’s restaurants, Somewhere by Nico provides an innovative experience with six-stage cocktail tasting, themes and storytelling, and sensory mixology.
The bar sits above Six by Nico on Byres Road.
The first six-week theme, which launches with the venue’s opening this week, is Land of Oz, inspired by the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz with food and drink items inspired by characters including the Cowardly Lion, the Wicked Witch of the West and the Wizard of Oz
The experience features eight limited-edition cocktails, six of which contain alcohol on the standard tasting menu, which are paired with a playful mix of dishes.
Not long after taking a seat beneath a striking display of artificial flowers, our first course of food and drinks arrived and we weren’t left waiting long between courses for the rest of the night with the overall experience lasting around two hours.
Each course has a story with staff explaining each item in detail after both food and drinks arrive.
While all the food and drinks were delicious, a standout for me was the second course titled Yellow Brick Road which paired a non-alcoholic cocktail featuring Mexican agave spirit, yellow bell pepper cordial and London Essence peach and jasmine soda with a queso fresco parfait topped with jalapeno gel, smoked mayo and coriander.
The drink isn’t something I would typically go for if I read it on a menu so it was great to be introduced to new flavours I wouldn’t have previously considered.
It’s not just the flavours that stood out, however, but the presentation as well.
In the first course, the cocktail comes in a ruby slipper while the trio of appetisers are served inside a model of Dorothy’s house – with the Wicked Witch of the East’s legs even poking out from underneath.
The theming continued throughout the meal with items such as a goat's cheese brain for the Scarecrow and a bright green and black garlic and parsley risotto to represent the melted Wicked Witch of the West.
While the cocktails are at the forefront of this experience rather than food, the food was still really filling and I found it to be more than enough for dinner.
The bar itself is beautifully decorated inside, with the new venues offering “an exclusive members club feeling”.
The décor was designed to reflect the four stages of sleep by Studio Two, giving it a relaxed and calming feel which was perfect for enjoying this unique experience.
The tasting menu costs £65 per person, including both the drinks and food, which with cocktails costing upwards of £10 in many places nowadays is a reasonable price, especially for an experience which is unlike anything else offered in Glasgow.
Somewhere by Nico is located at 358 Byres Road.
It opens on Wednesday, March 20.
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