Bishop's Cleeve is getting its very first cocktail and fondue bar, as the long-awaited Tabu wine and cocktail lounge opens its doors on Friday 7 July 2023.
Based on the Homelands Estate on Vale Road in Bishop's Cleeve, the new venue is serving up wine, cocktails, cheese fondue, chocolate fondue and tapas, with the sumptuous new bar being a welcome addition to the village.
Owners, Kiaya Woodward and Kelly Blake, who also co-own Bleu hair and beauty salons in Bishop's Cleeve and Winchcombe, snapped up the vacant site back in April 2023, having long dreamt of a stylish, welcoming bar that they would want to visit themselves.
Woodward said: 'We saw the unit come up and we said let's just do it; we need a bar in Bishop's Cleeve, with good food and good drinks.'
Three months later, their dream is realised, with steel-grey wooden panelling on the walls and accents of gold; emerald green velvet booths; chairs with diamante button backs; a teal-green, black and gold bar; and atmospheric lighting throughout.
Woodward added: 'We wanted to bring a bit of London style to Bishop's Cleeve, somewhere that you would want to go for a special occasion, but somewhere for locals to enjoy a decent glass of wine and some delicious small plates.'
Chef, Harry Morse, brings a Middle Eastern influence to the kitchen, with mezze style small plates alongside cheese and chocolate fondue. Having worked as a chef for five years at Bala Baya, a London restaurant with an Israeli theme, Morse has designed the menu to offer a selection for all tastes, including vegetarians and vegans, sourcing as many ingredients as possible locally.
Bar manager, Callum Rutherford, has designed a bespoke cocktail menu, too, with the Tabu Tiki Punch — a light whisky punch perfect for a summer's evening — as its signature drink. Also on the cocktail menu is the Banoffee Bomb, a dessert-themed mix of banana liqueur, vanilla vodka, caramel syrup and milk — or coconut milk for dairy-free customers.
Tabu will be running a happy hour every day from 3pm to 6pm, with cocktails on offer at two for £12, with plans to host events in the near future, such as live acoustic sets with a jazz vibe and wine and whiskey tasting nights.
The kitchen will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the week, opening from 9am to 11pm Wednesday to Saturday and 9am to 10pm Sunday to Tuesday, with no evening meals Sunday to Tuesday.
Booking is advised to guarantee a table, with online booking set to become available soon.
