Circo

‘Circo’ bar/restaurant/club represents Liverpool’s  Korova Corporation’s return in style to the location where the group made it’s reputation, the historic Albert Dock development, with the launch of it’s largest venue to date, the 17,000 sq foot operation opening it’s doors this October.

 Having founded the Likes of the ‘Blue Bar & Grill’, ‘Baby Blue’  and ‘Pan American club’, the group sold it’s Albert Dock estate in 2005, and went on to launch even more spectacular bars and eateries such as ‘Babycream’, ‘Alma de Cuba’ and ‘Korova bar’. Only last month Korova Group opened ‘Geisha’ bar/restaurant in Liverpool city centre, it’s first foray into Asian cuisine, to instant acclaim.

Korova CEO Rob Gutmann is delighted to be working at the world heritage location of the Albert Dock again  : “ The Dock feels like our spiritual home. We made our reputation here from 1998 onwards, and it seems right that as the Dock is about to enter a new golden era, with the impact of 2008, the Arena and Liverpool One, it’s only fitting that we save our biggest and brashest venture to date for this location.”

 ‘Circo’  is a new concept, originated by Rob, and as ever, influenced by his foreign adventures. Gutmann explains : “ We don’t ever plagiarise other operations we see, but I am influenced by the world’s legendary bars or restaurants. It’s our philosophy to keep striving to add to the collection of world greats, and we hope ‘Circo’ will have a chance. Although it won’t resemble it, ‘Circo’ is hugely influenced by a great evening I spent at the ’21 Club’ in Manhattan. It was a timeless and atmospheric place that served simple, great (largely) American comfort food in great style and of a superb quality. It also had that ‘speakeasy’ vibe that I think is effortlessly romantic.”

If some of ‘Circo’s’ food and atmosphere will be reminiscent of New York, then it’s heart and soul belong to another far flung venue, one of Paris’s best kept secrets ‘The Clown Bar’. Rob adds : “ more than anything, ‘Circo’ is an homage to the ‘Clown Bar’, which is a fantastic small bar that sits right next door to the ‘Cirque D’Hiver’ (winter circus) in Paris. It’s an amazing place where the various clowns that have worked at the circus for the past 100 years or so, have come to unwind and drown their sorrows . The walls are adorned with images of past clientele and lend the bar a very surreal quality. We wanted to capture some of it’s pathos, warmth, and yet slightly dark heart, with our theme for ‘Circo’.”

‘Circo’ fills a vast series of spaces in the old Britannia Pavilion warehouse at the Albert Dock. The design promises to be another challenging and quirky effort from Korova Group, and will again witness the group’s trademark marrying of slick modernism with eclectic pieces largely collected by Gutmann on his travels.

The venue will be a ‘multi-purpose’ one in that it will provide a large stylish bar area, split into 2 rooms : one a dark ‘speakeasy’ like space, the other bright, airy and overlooking the Albert Dock quayside, serving a café bar menu daily. The large luxury ‘steakhouse’ restaurant will also directly overlook water, serving an international menu from sushi, oysters, and veal meatloaf to pizzas, pastas, and steaks. On the venue’s mezzanine level will be a series of stylish private spaces for hire, including the Velvet Box Suite which can host the already popular private karaoke dinner parties. Perfect for the array of VIP after shows parties and launches that will abound when the adjacent Liverpool area opens early next year.