If you’ve wandered through Liberation Square this week and thought you spotted a certain time-travelling police box, don’t panic – the universe is (mostly) intact. The TARDIS parked outside Liberty Wharf isn’t whisking anyone to 1920s New York… unless you count the cocktail menu.
The iconic blue box in town is actually the work of speakeasy The Blind Pig, which is preparing to step out of the shadows and into a new – and slightly larger – home inside Bar Nautique.
After 13 years tucked away behind Chambers, owner Brian Smith says it was time to reinvent the magic.
And what better entrance for a secret bar than a full-size TARDIS? Timeless, discreet, and excellent for making an entrance.
Despite the upgrade, Brian insists the Blind Pig will keep all its Prohibition-era charm – just with more space, better booking options, and closer proximity to restaurants and offices.
The move comes with new partners, a fresh wave of young bartending talent, and a shared belief that hospitality’s future lies in collaboration.
Brian called the partnership with Bar Nautique owners David Parish and David Voisin “a match made in heaven” – hopefully one that doesn’t require time-travel to manage the rising costs that have plagued the nightlife and hospitality in recent years
The Blind Pig officially reopens in its new location on Friday 5 December.
You can read a fuller interview with Brian in The Business in the 10 December edition of the JEP.