Leeds has a huge array of bars and restaurants fueling its thriving night life and the latest bar to enter the scene happens to be conveniently placed in the Trinity Centre. Lifestyle and Culture decided to check out this brand-new opening to see what all the fuss is about. The first thing you notice when approaching Coco’s Beach Bar is the vibrant colours and men in Hawaiian shirts standing by the entrance. You’re greeted by a relaxed, social and lighthearted atmosphere with beach style decor and creative mood lighting including puffer fish lamp shades which were a hit with us. Brought to you by the highly successful Cabana restaurants, Coco’s is aiming for a fun and quirky place to make a pit stop before a big night out. With £6 cocktails always available, it’s not hard to see that the bar will be popular at all hours, whether it be after a long day of shopping in the Trinity Centre or before your night out. I have to say the hashtag they have created is certainly a good start.
Myself and the girls arrived at 6pm before the hustle and bustle on a Friday night. With the bar covered from top to bottom in flip flops you know you’re by the beach. I must admit our first thoughts were that is a real waste of flip flops but at the end of the day they do look good. The four of us sampled a wide selection of cocktails which included a Lagarita, Jungle Fever, Flaming Passion, Coco Colada, Sprinkles Margarita, Naked Lady and Island Life. The cocktails names are certainly original with a Coco’s twist on some of the classics.
The Lagarita (for two) consisted of a full bottle of beer upturned into a frozen margarita that was tangy and delicious. Jungle Fever is a rum, mango puree, lime juice and vanilla concoction topped with sweet gummy worms which all four of us fought over. The drink was juicy not just because of the fruit-flavoured sweets but because of the right levels of lime to counteract the sweet taste. The next cocktail we graciously sipped away at was the Naked Lady with rum, pineapple juice, curacao, coconut syrup and blended ice which is not something I would usually have gone for. Thank God we were given it, this drink was an all-around hit and the closest you will get to blue, sexy and most importantly alcoholic slush puppy. Presented in a glass the shape of a lady’s nude torso the drink is fun and quirky. We then tried the Coco Colada which as you might guess is the Coco’s take on a Pina colada, a rum, cream, coconut and pineapple favourite. However, this cocktail was not my favourite as it was a little two creamy and heavy, it certainly had all your days calories in one glass. Next up on the cocktail menu was my favourite of all, Island Life. Now I am no connoisseur, but this drink had the perfect levels of sweet, fresh and fruity combinations made from Vodka, agave syrup, apple juice, grenadine raspberry and passion fruit purees. We also sampled the Sprinkles Margarita which created a divide between the four of us. Half were in favour of the innovative sprinkles around the rim of the margarita with the other half not so sure. The drink itself still tasted great. Our final cocktail that arrived was the Flaming Passion which was definitely flaming with the passion fruit lit on fire but for us it lacked the passion. I thought this would have been my favourite drink consisting of apple juice, vanilla syrup, lime juice, ginger, mint, vodka and ginger beer. It was a little too watery for my liking but tasted nice.
Image Credit: Visit Leeds