Renae
Daisy Miles
“I feel like I’m in Lisbon”. We’re in Renae, only 10 days after they opened their doors, and it’s already buzzing. They’ve secured a spot on Thomas Street – one of the most high-profile places in the Northern Quarter for bars, food spots, and nightlife. And they’re really showing everyone up.
Harris Mouridis and Brad Parkins are the duo behind Renae. It’s a ‘music-led bar’, designed to get you dancing. The space is simple but with a really open, breezy feel that you could place anywhere in mainland Europe.
The drinks menu isn’t exhausting to look at, but there are a few unorthodox entries. The most interesting cocktail by far is their Matcha Martini. Head bartender Bridie is a bit of a force of nature and has created maybe one of the best cocktails I’ve had all year. It’s a deep, creamy butterscotch flavour with a rich vanilla-infused vodka. It’s an earthy kind of sweet, not the kind of sweet you can expect from a woo-woo or strawberry daiquiri, or anything else reminiscent of children’s fruit juices.
During the daytime, the space is a record store. There’s a roll-away trolley with a healthy collection of vinyls, curated by Patrick Ryder of Talking Drums. Patrick is a full-time digger. The selection isn’t extensive in numbers, but it is in taste. It’s an eclectic mix of genres, with both new releases and second-hands rubbing shoulders.
Harris and Brad also plan to open a bookshop in-store, alongside Patrick’s collection of records for sale. And more – when their first floor opens, they plan to host a huge amalgamation of creative endeavours. Workshops, podcast studios, hot desks. Oh my.
The most distinctive thing about the atmosphere is that everyone who is here is happy to be here. The staff are bouncing to the music, and strangers are dancing together. It seems obvious that going out should be for pleasure, but too often, the environment makes it feel like some sort of compulsion. Not at Renae. It’s an honour to be here.
