FRIENDS
We love collaborating and have done a bunch of pop ups with our favourite winemakers, chefs, musicians and all sorts of creatives. Here's a list of few we've done in the past year or so
Our relationship with Andy Aichison and A11 Radio goes back a few years. We kicked off by hosting them for a series of Saturday vinyl sessions at the bagel shop and there have been a bunch of shows recorded live in the space since. Andy is doing incredible things with A11 and the Mixcloud channel is a treasure trove. We're sure to hook up again soon as we emerge from the C19 murk.
Hoick is a creative agency and amorphous art collective based in Cape Town, South Africa, centred around the partnership of artists Dale Lawrence and Claire Johnson. Good mates of ours with whom we've been working with for ages. They make and curate the artworks that festoon the bar's walls.
Ouzeri is a Cypriot inspired food concept that will hopefully be a restaurant soon, if things line up for chef Nick Charalambous. We've hosted them three times and every night has been magic. Their food is exceptional, you’ll see.
Leo's x The Word is Uhh
We hosted The Word is Uhh for a listening session of their new album 'Saint Etiennes' with each track paired with a wine from our list. So 'Yellowwood Park' riffed on chardonnay's rep for oak usage, 'Smart Dogs' - a track made up of all sorts of styles - paired up with a white blend with the same DNA. We had loads of fun with it - and one of the bar's most festive nights.
Leo's x Nice Bev Co.
Nice Bev Co. are a group of wine nuts working with local vignerons to make natural wines in cans and kegs a thing. We've hosted them for a few pop ups pouring bottomless fizzy natural wines out of kegs and will be running a series of events on the final Sunday of the month called Sunday Service in 2022.
Leo's x Top of The Food
The Top of the Food lads came in for a night, serving small plates of local produce inspired by the sea and a recent trip to Zanzibar. Chef Ryan Anderson and partner Nick Preen, who is half of Naughty Water with Dan Colombo, brought the heat with west coast oysters, ceviche and a smashing Kachumburi salad. They'll be back.
Dan Colombo went from working shifts at Leo's to assisting Tom Lubbe at Domaine Matassa in Rousillon to a harvest with Peter-Allan Finlayson at Crystallum wines and is set to release a range of his own wines in 2021. During his time at Leo's he and partner Nick hosted a couple of takeovers for their brilliant named Naughty Water.
While testing the water for his new restaurant, Chef Andrew Kai popped up for a small plate takeover and killed it with dishes that would go on to inspire his menu at Tomson, next door to Leo's. That spot serves south Cantonese dishes drawn from his life growing up in the Chinese South African community in Johannesburg. Book a table and check it out here.