Here’s a great drinks paring: Andy Kerr and Tom Gibson.
Between them, they’ve founded several of the best cocktail bars in the capital – and now they’re pouring their mutual expertise together into one glorious shaker to create the forthcoming liquor-laced Shangri-la they’re calling Parasol.
The name is a glorious, high-five-me-God pun on the fact that the first of our protagonists – Andy Kerr – is the founder of both The Umbrella Project and The Sun Tavern. (He also opened The Discount Suit Company, but that’s far tougher to fit into a weather-related pun.) Our second heavyweight – Tom Gibson – is the driving force behind Ruby’s in Dalston, the place that replaced it, Corrochio’s, and the north London pub The Bluecoats. There isn’t a less-that-great bar among them all, so this bodes very well for Parasol.

Andy on the left, Tom on the right
So what to expect? Well, we’ll level with you, concrete information is preeettty thin on the ground. Other than the name, the location, and a vague-ish opening date of ‘spring’, there isn’t much to go on. But here’s what we do know: the duo have taken over the site of a nightclub in Dalston called The Nest, which is just a hundred yards down the road from Corrochio’s, where it’s neatly sandwiched between The Marquee Moon and Del 74. Great neighbours to have. It’s also a pretty big venue (150 people), and the photos on Google give off industrial-chic vibes.
The drinks menu is totally under wraps, but given the track record of these guys, it’s not exactly going to be shots and beers. We can expect some next-level cocktail mastery, with Umbrella Project brewed ingredients, including “riffs on classics and a seasonally changing signature house menu”. And to fuel all of this, there’s going to be a bar snack menu thrown together by Provisions Wine & Cheese.
As tends to happen with parasols, we’ll have more coverage when it opens up.
NOTE: Parasol is set to open in spring of 2025. We’ll be back then with the full scoop. In the meantime you can keep an eye on their Insta.
Parasol | 36 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7XJ
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