A new city centre whisky bar from the team behind Tabac, Devil of Brooklyn and The Last Bookstore is preparing to open this week.
Liquor Store from Lazzurri Group will launch at 80 St Vincent Street, taking over the former Il Pastaio site with a food and drink offer built around whisky cocktails, sharing plates and a ‘late-night bar atmosphere’.
The venue has been designed by Paul Martin and the team at DSN79, whose previous projects include Devil of Brooklyn and The Last Bookstore. Inside, the bar will combine high tables, booths and restaurant-style seating, with low lighting and close to 1,000 bottles displayed across the walls.
The kitchen will be led by Otello Calvert, known for his Inverness food truck Tagliotello, while Lazzurri Group head bartender Mick Quinn will lead the drinks programme. Euan Barker, who has moved across from Tabac, will oversee front of house as general manager.
Liquor Store’s food menu will centre on small plates designed for sharing, taking familiar pub-style dishes and giving them a Scottish influence. Opening dishes include colcannon patty with burrata, Aberdeen Angus tartare and chicken tikka arancini.
The drinks menu has been divided into house serves, whisky classics and remixed cocktails. Early signatures include a whisky Spicy Margarita and a Talisker-based Aviation served with a black pepper caviar bump.
Mick Quinn, head bartender of Lazzurri Group, said, “Our goal is to honour the heritage of our national spirit while opening it up to a new generation of whisky drinkers.
“With a menu in three parts, we’ve made sure there’s something for everyone. Our House drinks are for those not quite ready to jump into drams, the Remixes bring whisky into familiar favourites as an easy way in, and we’ve got a list of Classic whisky cocktails for those who already love it.
“Younger drinkers are changing perceptions around whisky and making it feel more accessible. We know there’s a real place for that in the city centre, and we can’t wait to share it.”
Head chef Otello Calvert said, “From day one, back when we were in the food truck, the focus has always been on making food that excites people. That hasn’t changed, it’s just taken on a new form here.
“The menu leans into familiar flavours, but with a bit more thought behind them, things people recognise, done in a way that feels fresh and worth talking about. It’s built for sharing and for sitting alongside the drinks, especially the whisky.
“We’ve kept it tight on purpose so we can really focus on getting it right, and it gives us space to change things up with weekly specials and keep it interesting.”
