Drink, Shop & Do, a vintage homeware and retro craft shop doubling as a bar, has moved back and reopened as a permanent shop at the serially vacant shop at No.9.
The temporary venture appeared popular over three weekends in December 2009, with its curious mix of cocktails, knitting and other craft activities, board games, up-cycled (there’s a word) furniture, tea sets and designer craft for sale (the memorable fleet of woollen aeroplanes have touched down again, too). All the same elements are back in place, and Drink, Shop & Do starting pouring tea and opening beers as of Saturday 7 August.
This address has spent most of the recent past as a sex shop, which possibly didn’t make the most of the remarkable interior. It’s thought to be an old Victorian bathhouse, which likely explains the soaring five metre ceilings, ornate pilasters and fancy skylight in the main space. All this, combined with huge yellow candy stripes on the walls, a pastel-coloured icecream cart and the design and craft objects for sale, makes the shop an unusual presence in King’s Cross — possibly more at home in Lambs Conduit Street or Exmouth Market. Coralie Sleap, one of the proprietors, admits opening the shop here was more about the interior than the location, but says, “I do like the fact that the shop is a bit ‘in the rough’, so to speak, and a little on its own.” She and her business partner, Kristie Bishop, hope that it will be a destination in itself that offers the simple pleasures of socialising while making things and eating cakes. With nearby SimmonS, another retro-styled bar selling cakes, that might just qualify as a ‘cake strip’…or even a ‘beer and cake strip’. Speaking of which, Coralie said, “We’re on the lookout for a good homemade cake supplier, so if you know anyone…”
In the meantime, the “do” component of the shop, the calendar of craft activities, is still to come. The shop is currently open 12—11.30pm Tuesday to Saturday, pending the outcome of the licensing committee hearing on 6 September, as some objections to the application have been lodged.
Clare Hill
Another late-night liquor license application – 9 Caledonian Road
Wow! I haven’t been in yet but definately will now – you’d never know from the outside!