Swanky cocktail bar The Alchemist eyes up new site in Bristol city centre

It's known for its flamboyant cocktails

A swanky cocktail bar which had planned to open in Clifton years ago now has its sights set on the city centre instead.

The Alchemist wanted to open its newest branch inside the former Rise Records shop on Queens Road, close to Clifton Triangle, by April 2018.

But cocktail lovers were told they would have to wait until early 2019 for the opening due to a setback.

At the time The Alchemist claimed the delay was because it was 'taking the time to get to know the city' - but the real reason behind the setback was because Bristol City Council believed the plan was 'harmful' and refused to grant it planning permission, as reported by Bristol Live in May 2018.

As the building in question was designated for retail and restaurant use, an application from The Alchemist to turn it into a bar and restaurant was refused by the council, which claimed the transition would harm the area's shopping potential and would make existing antisocial behaviour and noise to nearby residents worse.

With no update from the The Alchemist since then, it looked like it could have spelled the end of the chain's attempts to open in Bristol - until now.

The chain has submitted a licensing application to Bristol City Council to open at 41 Corn Street, most recently home to Pranji's bar, which closed in 2017.

The notice requests the sale of alcohol until midnight Sunday to Wednesday, 12.30am on Thursday and 1am on Friday and Saturday.

With venues across the UK, including in Cardiff, Birmingham, London and Birmingham, The Alchemist is known for its flamboyant cocktails, combining alcohol with science.

The bartenders are "masters in the dark arts of molecular mixology and demons in the kitchen," who always put on a show for customers.

Its Cardiff bar has a rating of 4 /5 on TripAdvisor from 292 reviews, with many people praising the 'interesting cocktails'.

We'll be watching this space closely...

For the latest news in and around Bristol, visit and bookmark Bristol Live's homepage.