Ukrainian operators Artem Skapenko and Alex Kostenyuk are to open a new two-level cocktail venue promising inventive techniques and visual flare on Old Street this March, with Igor Brovko – formerly of Tayēr + Elementary – joining as their head bartender.
The venue is structured around two distinct experiences: at street level is an intimate 20-seat space designed to constantly evolve through collaborations, while an 80-seat lower level offers a more refined setting, focused on technique-led drinks and considered service. The interior is by YOD Group, a Kyiv-based studio.
Skapenko co-owns some of Ukraine’s best-known bars - HRAM and Loggerhead in Kyiv and Mad House in Liviv while Kostenyuk is also a leading hospitality entrepreneur and the strategic partner behind Eastern European bar concepts.
The drinks programme, which is lead by technique-forward drinks, also features the Loggerhead (or flip-dog, hence the bar's name), a ritual which sees an iron poker heated to 1200°C and plunged into a cocktail to caramelise sugars.
Complementing the drinks, Flipdog will offer a menu of seasonal dishes drawn from both Asian and Eastern European cuisines, reimagined through a contemporary lens.
Skapenko and Kostenyuk, co-founders of Flipdog, said: “We’re thrilled to bring Flipdog to the heart of London. Our vision is to craft a space that challenges conventions in the cocktail scene while remaining genuinely approachable.
“Each drink is crafted with precision, highlights will be the Loggerhead method where a 1200°C iron poker theatrically caramelises sugars, enhances texture, and intensifies flavour.
“At Flipdog, creativity and care underpin every drink and dish, delivered without pretension. The bar is a meeting point of design, flavour, technique, and the cultural roots that inspire us.”