New cocktail bar set to shake things up in Leeds

CAST your mind back a few years ago and Call Lane was the place to be.
Brooklyn Bar on Call Lane is becoming a brand new bar. Picture: Tony Johnson.Brooklyn Bar on Call Lane is becoming a brand new bar. Picture: Tony Johnson.
Brooklyn Bar on Call Lane is becoming a brand new bar. Picture: Tony Johnson.

With bars lining each side of the street, punters flocked to the area for a night on the tiles.

But recently other parts of town have come into their own and are giving Call Lane a run for its money.

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The Northern Quarter and Greek Street have attracted huge investment, with new bars and restaurants popping up almost every month.

But now Call Lane is fighting back as a new bar arrives on the street.

The Epic Cocktail Club will take over the former Brooklyn Bar site.

Leeds-based company Jones Bar Group, which owns other venues such as Roxy Ballroom, Slate and Shed, own the venue and are keen to invest in it and update it.

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Matt Jones, managing director of Jones Bar Group, said: “Brooklyn was one of the first bars that we opened in the city centre and it was in need of a bit of love.

“We’re quite creative people and thought rather than revamping it, we would have a fresh outlook and try and bring the first floor into play.

“It was previously used as a private hire area but now we are using it differently and bringing the bar into better use so we can have two floors of cocktails.

“We are doing a lot of cosmetic changes from the decoration to new floors as well as a different lighting and colour scheme.

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“We are very excited to be reinvigorating the space in this iconic location and can’t wait for the opening of Epic Cocktail Club.”

The new cocktail bar will be set across two floors and opens to the public on Friday, August 26.

The ground floor bar will offer a choice of 50 cocktails, with a two-for-one offer every day until 8pm and throughout the night on Mondays.

The first floor lounge will be a bespoke cocktail experience, where each creation has its own fragrance that has been created in the open kitchen to match the tones of each flavour.

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The lounge will only be open on Friday and Saturday evenings and is expected to be popular, so booking is recommended.

Call Lane has been through significant change in the six years since Brooklyn Bar first arrived on the street.

Speaking about the changes, Matt added: “Call Lane hasn’t ever been forgotten about but the trade and timings have completely changed.

“It used to be quite a steady trade from 5pm until close but now we are seeing it getting absolutely rammed but very late in the night – after 11pm.

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“It’s almost like people are pre-drinking in the Northern Quarter and Greek Street areas before coming down to Call Lane for more of a party atmosphere.

“What we are hoping is that with a strong happy hour offering and the two-floor cocktail bar, it will attract some earlier trade.

“Leeds is just going from strength to strength and there’s more choice and competition than ever before, which is great.

“It forces you to reinvent and keeps you on your toes.”

It’s great to see more investment in this part of town and we’re sure this new cocktail bar will shake things up for Call Lane.

l For details, or to be in with a chance of attending the VIP launch on Thursday, August 25, visit www.epiccocktailclub.co.uk.

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