A new cocktail bar concept from Nico Simeone will launch in Glasgow next week, with first-look photos today offering a sneak peek at its ‘dream-like interiors’.
Following a six-figure investment and 19 months of development, Somewhere by Nico will welcome its first customers to 358 Byres Road on Wednesday, March 20.
The latest in a string of openings from the group, including a new flagship Six by Nico in Merchant City and Sole Club in Finnieston, Simeone has said the demand for the cocktail venue is already “far beyond anything he’s ever experienced”.
READ MORE: All is not as it seems at new concept restaurant from chef Nico Simeone
He said: “We really wanted to raise the bar for ourselves. People are looking for more than just a drink; they want an experience. We believed that to be true and that’s been vindicated; we’ve been blown away by how popular this has proved to be.
“The venue is exactly what we dreamt of. It has an exclusive members’ club feeling, something I think Glasgow needed but is definitely more than ready for.
“It’s drinks-led, but we’ve put as much attention on the alcohol-free menu.
“While it feels exclusive, this experience is designed for everyone.”
Studio Two, the design studio behind seven of the Glasgow-born restaurateur’s venues across major cities including Manchester and Leeds, are behind the look and feel of the unique new venue which offers “an exclusive members’ club-like feeling”.
READ MORE: Six by Nico is evolving – is the magic still there?
The interior concept has been designed to reflect the four stages of sleep from ‘falling under’ to light sleep then slow wave sleep to the REM stage, where dreams are most likely to occur.
Studio Two co-founder Lauren Milner said: “This is unlike anything else, anywhere else.
“Any bar that is ‘immersive’ creates that feeling through digital experiences rather than through fabric and light, which is what we’ve done.
“At the entrance, distorted glazing adds an element of intrigue, beginning the hazy, dreamscape experience.
“When you walk through the doors, it’s trippy; the artwork draws you in before being welcomed to the seating area filled with large, oversized upholstery, soft fabrics, and soft light fittings. This is where full relaxation begins.
“Then comes the dream stage, when each guest is immersed in the cocktail experience, with the bar taking centre stage and adding an element of theatre to proceedings. The low lights allow people to get lost in the experience.
“Artwork is a key feature, the brief to them was ‘tell me your wildest dreams’. Everything from lighting to art is completely out of the box, creating the perfect environment for the cocktails to come to life.”
READ MORE: Hungry for more food and drink news? Sign up to our weekly Food Matters newsletter here.
Somewhere by Nico will create a new cocktail experience every six weeks, similar to the Six by Nico dining concept but with a focus on cocktails rather than the food.
The first theme, the Land of OZ, was revealed last week and will run from Wednesday, March 20 until Sunday, April 28.
For more information or to book for the Land of OZ experience, click here.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here