Kartel returns as Gonzo’s Tea Room
Much-loved club Kartel has re-emerged as ‘Gonzo’s Tea Room’
On Sunday 27th April, Kartel nightclub officially closed its doors after a review following a series of violent injuries, yet hope was not lost for its loyal fans as it was revealed that the owners had a new idea lined up. When The Tab spoke to owner James Belton, he told us that “From the ashes of Kartel a phoenix will rise, basically.”
Remoulding itself as a relaxed, casual bar, Gonzo’s Tea Room is set to be a “loungey, funky, vintagey, rather cool little bar, that is not too loud, dark, ravey and is officially scary and repellent to chavs.”
Speaking to Gonzo’s Tea Room yesterday, they told The Tab: “We’re going to be open seven nights a week again, and will soon be opening all day long for just a nice lovely hiding place in the city centre where you can chill with a coffee, listen to good tunes and catch up with mates or just chill on out on the WiFi.
“We’re looking to be open every day from about 6pm until 3:30am and within the next two weeks we’ll be opening in the day as well as a bit of a boutique coffee shop or a generally laid back hangout spot.”
They revealed that the new bar will be working with Voodoo Daddy’s Pizza to serve pizzas such as the ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Chilli’ and the ‘Fat Elvis’.
The bar will also serve a variety of new cocktails including “things like Earl Grey Tea infusions, caraway seed syrups and lots of ingredients people have never seen before. A lot more than just vodka cokes and boring old jager bombs.”
When asked about the name ‘Gonzo’s Tea Room’, the owners told us that it was “a homage to our fun loving pug Gonzo. He grew up in the mountains of Canada and spent his days chasing bears (that is all absolutely true).”
Interestingly, the bar is made from recycled materials. “The wood was salvaged from shipping palettes that would have been binned otherwise. All the bits of furniture were vintage finds – even the cushion covers are made of hessian sacks that used to ship coffee beans across from South America.”
So what are you waiting for – get down to Gonzo’s and see what you think! It may never fill the hole Kartel has left in our lives, but it sounds like it could be the next big thing in the Norwich bar scene.