Inverness’ original cocktail bar
Bar One was once called the Moray Bar, standing on the corner of Academy Street and Baron Taylor street. Once a very popular bar, it had succumbed to the pressure of the smoking ban and the Scottish licensing reforms and in May 2009 I took it on to turn it into a dedicated cocktail bar.
Inspired by the clean lines and boozy cocktails of the central belt establishments, the transformation would take us 15 weeks and cost in excess of 6 figures. Which was an issue – we only had a budget of £20k!
However, we persevered and opened on 27th August to mostly mixed reviews.
The clean lines and table service model had really confused the message, and people assumed that the prices would be higher than their usual hostelry.
It took 18 months to get the business to make a profit, which I still think is a great result.
Today it stands as a flagship of what we do, and has enjoyed a full refit since we opened. It continues to track the trends of London and further afield, introducing new cocktails styles, beers and spirits to its clientelle.
Despite its determined commitment to stay ahead of the game, it still represents a great fun bar to spend time in, whatever time of the day you may choose to visit.
Contact Details
Address: 1 Academy Street | Inverness | IV1 1JN
Telephone: 01463 714471
Website: www.baroneinverness.com