Autumn 2015 will see London-based restaurant and nightlife collective The Columbo Group, open two new venues within the space of a month, both located in South London. Columbo Group founder Steve Ball, who last night was last named one of Evening Standard’s ‘1000 Influential Londoners’ for the second year running, said of the news: “Brixton is currently one of the most exciting areas of London for restaurants, bars and clubs so we’re thrilled to be a part of it’’.
The Blues Kitchen
The group is set to bring its popular Blues Kitchen concept to Brixton (see design above) which will open on Friday 9 October on the site formerly inhabited by Electric Social. This will be the third Blues Kitchen venue in London after the hugely successful launch of the Shoreditch site in 2014, and the original Blues Kitchen in Camden which opened in 2009. As with the previous two sites, The Blues Kitchen Brixton will offer authentic Texan BBQ, live music seven nights a week and one of the biggest bourbon selections in London.
Phonox
Recently opened bar and club Phonox (above), which inhabits the space previously occupied by Plan B, aims to bring an exciting and unparalleled nightlife experience to Brixton. The first weekend, across Friday 4 and Saturday 5 September, saw Julio Bashmore, resident Jasper James and special guests Disclosure and Jackmaster play the club. Future weeks will see the likes of Gilles Peterson, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Horse Meat Disco, and The Bug play amongst many others.
The musical heritage and late night culture of Brixton make it a perfect location for The Blues Kitchen, Phonox and The Columbo Group, who were recently awarded ‘Late Night Operator of the Year’ in the 2015 Publican Awards.
Diverse portfolio
These latest openings bring the group’s diverse portfolio of restaurants, bars, clubs and live music venues in the capital to nine, having breathed life into popular neighbourhood hangouts such as The Cat & Mutton in Hackney, The Old Queens Head in Islington and Paradise by way of Kensal Green, since the company formed in 2006. The group is also familiar with its music audience, having launched high profile clubs such as XOYO in Shoreditch and The Nest in Dalston.
The Columbo Group’s multi-faceted approach to the bars, restaurants and clubs is unique in London. Unlike conventional operators in the sectors, Steve approaches business with an outsider’s perspective and an understanding of young Londoners’ resistance to one-dimensional offerings and desire for great food, drinks and live music under one roof.