A Curious Teepee

Spare and irresistibly hip, A Curious Teepee is without doubt the hub’s first proper destination resident. Well, second if you count Camp Pong, this store’s predecessor, which was fun while it lasted, but really only served to highlight the potential of a space that Tracy Phillips’ agency Present Purpose, Lo & Behold and design firm Takenouchi Webb have gleefully taken advantage of to create a well-curated, homey part-café, part-boutique, part-bar. Its bright Scandi-chic happily stays at arm’s length from obvious IKEA minimalism, with pleasing duck-egg blues and icterine yellows offsetting the interior’s steely greys. Labels include the excellent Stockholm-based accessory mainstays Sandqvist and Sifr, OwnMuse, Sundays and Stolen Girlfriends Club.

As for the bar area, it is only temporary and won't be around for long. Run by the former Klee boys, you won’t go wrong ordering up the omakase of small plates, and the strong, well-mixed cocktails – in particular, the Kiwi Martini ($18): fresh kiwi is pounded, not puréed or slushed up, so sipping on it is like taking in fruit confetti from a martini glass. The fibrous texture is retained and there is an additional depth of freshness in this drink that slushies lack. Watch out, though – you can’t taste it, but the refreshing drinks are packed with two ounces of alcohol, instead of the conventional one ounce. Alexander Barlow

Cocktails $18-$25

Update: A Curious Teepee will close its doors on 31 Dec but continue to sell online.