Kiki Continue to Climb the Cocktail Ladder

The team at Douglas cocktail bar Kiki Lounge are celebrating after the venue was named 28th in Great Britain’s Top 50 Cocktail Bars 2026, a BIG jump of 21 places from last year’s 49th spot.

The annual list is voted for by bartenders, bar owners, drinks writers and other hospitality pros, and the results were unveiled at a London awards ceremony earlier this month.

Co-founder Drew Fleming said: ‘To climb 21 places in a single year is something we genuinely never thought possible.

‘Being on an island means many voters don’t regularly pass through our doors, so recognition like this has always felt like a long shot.

‘To now be sitting at No. 28, alongside bars we’ve admired for years, is surreal.’

Kiki Lounge opened in 2020 and relocated to North Quay in Douglas in 2023.

Since moving, it has picked up accolades including Bar of the Year at the Spirits Business Awards.

When Gef walks along North Quay, it’s always bouncing in there, islanders just simply love a cocktail and a good time.

Co-founder Jamie Lewis said the rise was down to a deliberate shift two years ago: ‘It’s been relentless graft.

‘We changed our site, systems, training and ambition.

‘Hospitality is tough right now, margins are tight, costs are rising, and independent operators are under real pressure.

‘To see a small Manx business climb to No. 28 in Great Britain means more than we can properly articulate.’

The venue has more exciting plans ahead, including a pop-up at the Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans this July and guest shifts during this year’s TT.

Want to know more about Kiki Lounge? Visit www.kikis.im.