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06
Mar
Sneak Peek: Harrogate's new speakeasy bar opens
A new speakeasy-style bar has opened its doors in Harrogate today.
Over and Above sits above The Little Ale House and punters can enter through a door disguised as a bookcase inside the hallway of the downstairs pub.
The Stray Ferret previously reported that the bar replaced the former Ali Raj restaurant on Cheltenham Crescent.
The speakeasy-style bar can be accessed through a "hidden door" disguised as a bookshelf.
Owner Richard Hamer moved to Harrogate with his wife three years ago after working for 10 years in a London gin bar.
We went to meet Mr Hamer today (March 6), who told us why he had decided to open in Harrogate. He said:
My parents live here, and whenever me and my wife were visiting from London we always used to go to Leeds or Manchester for high-end cocktails.
We felt as though there was a gap in the market here for late-night table service and cocktails prepared with chef techniques.
We also wanted a nice place to start a family and get a dog, which we’ve just done. Harrogate is a beautiful town to do that in.
Some of the cocktails that will be available at Over and Above.
The bar will offer table service all night and will serve cocktails done with “chef techniques”, some of which take days to prepare.
For example, their Clarified Colada (which is pictured on the right) introduces a technique called milk clarification, which involves straining the ingredients through curdled milk to achieve an extra depth of flavour. This takes a day and a half to make, so the mixture is pre-prepared in house.
Mr Hamer shared his thoughts about what he hopes the bar to be:
We want people to have fun primarily. We’re not the type of bar that is going to force what we do to our drinks down everyone’s throats.
But if people are interested, we’re big cocktail nerds, so we’ll be happy to inform.
We want to bring friendly service, a nice cosy atmosphere, a neighbourhood vibe and, of course, fantastic drinks.
While the bar does have a beer and wine menu, Mr Hamer said that there will be more of an emphasis on cocktails. He said that they do not want to intrude on their neighbours The Little Ale House, as he has “massive respect for what they do.”
The bar currently has four employees but is looking for a back bar staff member. It has a second bar on the floor above that will open in May.
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