World’s smallest bar goes on sale for £80,000

A provocative six-seater ‘Lip Bar’ designed by Japanese artist Daido Moriyama has gone on sale at luxury London department store Selfridges for £80,000.

Japanese artist Daido Moriyama’s Lip Bar has gone on sale at Selfridges for £80,000

Launched in time for Valentine’s Day, the bar, which claims to be the world’s smallest, features a recurring lip motif based on a photo by Moriyama.

Best known for his gritty black-and-white photography, Moriyama’s London bar is inspired by the tiny drinking dens in Golden Gai, an area of Shinjuku in Tokyo. Moriyama also designed a similar space, Bar Kuro in Tokyo, which boasts his red lip design.

His dimly lit, five square-metre London speakeasy can be booked by singletons looking for love this Valentine’s Day. An hour at the bar costs £10 and includes two Asahi beers, sort drinks or a cup of saké for you and your paramour.

While the Lip Bar is designed as a space where singles can meet and mingle, couples are also encouraged to swing by.

The Lip Bar will be open until March 3, and can also be bought outright for £80,000 as part of Selfridges’ State Of The Arts campaign, which showcases installations, limited-edition pieces and in-store displays at its UK stores.

Those keen to delve deeper into Moriyama’s work can check out his black-and-white photos of Japan’s street life on display at Selfridges’ Art Store, which brings together works from renowned galleries like the White Cube and Gagosian.

The department store’s three-month State Of The Arts project, which launched last month, promotes the work of nine different artists.

If you’re not able to score a seat at the Lip Bar, London has plenty of other diminutive drinking dens to explore.

Leave your reply

Most Recent Stories

London's hottest restaurant openings: December 2023

Christmas is the time of year to eat, drink and be merry – here are some of the new London spots worth dropping by this festive season.

Tributes paid to Russell Norman

The restaurateur credited with transforming London's dining scene with the opening of Polpo, Spuntino and Brutto, died last week at the age of 57.

Mendoza sweeps up Michelin stars

In the very first edition of the Michelin Guide in Argentina, Mendoza took home four of the six stars in an awards ceremony last week firmly placing the wine region at the top of any gastronome’s bucket list of places to visit.

WLC Eats: The Clove Club, Shoreditch

Douglas Blyde heads to what was once Shoreditch Town Hall to visit The Clove Club. While there, he explores the two Michelin-starred restaurant's "masterful" and "memorable" tasting menu, and raises the question of why chef-patron Isaac McHale hasn't written a book yet.

Norfolk pub owner uses canoe in face of floods

A pub landlord in Surlingham, Norfolk, estimated losses of £80,000 over the last two years due to floods, and has had to employ one unconventional method to transport deliveries and staff to work.

Most Recent Stories

London's hottest restaurant openings: December 2023

Christmas is the time of year to eat, drink and be merry – here are some of the new London spots worth dropping by this festive season.

Tributes paid to Russell Norman

The restaurateur credited with transforming London's dining scene with the opening of Polpo, Spuntino and Brutto, died last week at the age of 57.

Mendoza sweeps up Michelin stars

In the very first edition of the Michelin Guide in Argentina, Mendoza took home four of the six stars in an awards ceremony last week firmly placing the wine region at the top of any gastronome’s bucket list of places to visit.

WLC Eats: The Clove Club, Shoreditch

Douglas Blyde heads to what was once Shoreditch Town Hall to visit The Clove Club. While there, he explores the two Michelin-starred restaurant's "masterful" and "memorable" tasting menu, and raises the question of why chef-patron Isaac McHale hasn't written a book yet.

Norfolk pub owner uses canoe in face of floods

A pub landlord in Surlingham, Norfolk, estimated losses of £80,000 over the last two years due to floods, and has had to employ one unconventional method to transport deliveries and staff to work.