The world’s best cocktail bar brought a taste of Hong Kong to Glasgow as Bar Leone took over Kelvingrove Café for a packed Saturday night in Finnieston.
Bar Leone founder Lorenzo Antinori made his debut at the Argyle Street favourite on 17 October for a special guest shift, serving a compact menu of cocktails created for the occasion.
It was busy from early in the evening, with tables full, people gathered around the bar to watch Lorenzo at work. There was a lot of familiar faces from local hospitality and a great atmosphere as Glasgow West End drinkers got the chance to experience drinks from a bar which has rapidly become one of the biggest names in the international cocktail scene.
At the centre of the night was Lorenzo, the Rome-born bartender whose approach takes inspiration from the traditional neighbourhood bars of his home city.
Kelvingrove Café owner Barry Oattes said having Antinori behind the bar in Glasgow was a major moment for the venue.
“We’re so honoured to have a guy of his stature be here,” he said. “We just hope he enjoys his night. He’s world-class.”
Bar Leone opened in Hong Kong in 2023 with an idea summed up by the phrase Cocktail Popolari – cocktails for the people.
Rather than overly complicated drinks and elaborate presentation, its focus is on recognisable flavours, technically precise cocktails and the relaxed hospitality associated with an Italian neighbourhood bar.
That philosophy travelled well to Glasgow.
Despite the international reputation surrounding Bar Leone, there was little sense of ceremony at Kelvingrove Café. It felt like a proper Saturday night in Finnieston: loud, busy and informal, with serious cocktails being served.
Barry told me that nights like this are evidence of how far Glasgow’s wider drinks scene has developed: “In terms of cocktail culture, this part of town and elsewhere in Glasgow, in Scotland, is thriving”.
“I think it’s getting better and better. Every year we’re getting better. Up against some tough odds, but Glasgow’s as good as it’s ever been.”
The special Bar Leone menu featured four drinks, all priced at £12. The Filthy Martini combined Ketel One vodka with smoked brine and what the menu mischievously described as “(maybe) World’s Best Olives”.
It was perhaps the most immediately recognisable Bar Leone drink of the night: deceptively simple with an intense and and distinctive flavour profile.
The Green & Gold Highball featured Singleton 12 was mixed with Cocchi Americano, Ancho Reyes Verde and a celery and sugar snap pea soda, putting Scotch at the centre of a long, fresh and unusually green-tasting drink.
Scotch has long been an important part of the drinks programme at Kelvingrove Café. Barry said: “Scotch whisky is just a premium product. I think if you’re going to be putting it in a cocktail, you need to know what you’re doing with it.
“With all great products, if you treat it right, you get the best results.”
Do the Kelvingrove team know how to get the best results from whisky? “Oh, we know what we’re doing. We go way back.”
The most unusual drink on the menu was the Caprese, made with Ketel One vodka, Martini Bianco, lemon, Skinos Mastiha and cherry tomato.
Its name referenced the classic Italian combination of tomato, mozzarella and basil, while the drink itself captured something of Bar Leone’s broader approach: taking familiar Italian flavours and turning them into cocktails without making them unnecessarily complicated.
There was also an alcohol-free Green & Gold Highball, combining Seedlip Garden 108, Amaro Lucano 0.0 and the celery and sugar snap pea soda.
Kelvingrove Café itself was an appropriate setting for the takeover.
The Argyle Street venue has become one of the bars most closely associated with Finnieston’s emergence as a major food and drink destination, one of Glasgow’s coolest neighbourhoods.
The home team from Kelvingrove Café served up clear appletini, featuring Casamigos Blanco, a Johnny Walker Black Ruby whisky cocktail called Sesame Street, with roasted sesame seeds, amontillado, cinnamon, bitters and soda. Third on their hitlist was Pom Pom - Tanqueray No.TEN, pomelo cordial, egg whites and rosé champagne
The Bar Leone appearance formed part of Scotland Served, the cocktail festival bringing together bars, restaurants, bartenders and drinks brands across Scotland.
For Kelvingrove Café it was a warm welcome to one of the biggest names in modern bartending.
The night was also a reminder that Glasgow does not have to look far beyond its own bars to find an increasingly confident cocktail culture.