Colonial Cocktails Academy

Colonial opened on the Blloku's main bar street in February 2012, the idea of Ilir Dushkaj after a decade working in Milanese bars, and calls itself an academy…Colonial opened on the Blloku's main bar street in February 2012, the idea of Ilir Dushkaj after a decade working in Milanese bars, and calls itself an academy because the staff are expected to make the drink with the guest rather than simply for them. The back bar runs to more than a thousand labels from around the world, which is the deepest spirits range in the district.

The list moves between seasonal creations and the classics, with a wine selection chosen to sit alongside the Italian kitchen that serves lunch through the day, and DJs and live musicians take over later in the evening. A second venue, Colonial Hill, has since opened under the same name, and the original still books tables online.