Bar and cafe is full of Pride for celebration

IT'S one of the smallest venues in Plymouth but the Portico Cocktail Bar and Cafe is rapidly gaining a huge following and has some very big plans. The Notte Street business is building a reputation as one of the city centre's most lively places to eat, drink and party.

- By WILLIAM TELFORD

And it’s positioning itself as the epicentre of this year’s Plymouth Community Pride celebration on July 12. When the official Pride event was scrapped due to a lack of funds, organisations and businesses stepped in to ensure Plymouth was not without a Pride showcase.

The independently owned Portico Cocktail Bar and Cafe, nestled next to the huge Slug and Lettuce chain pub, will be officially launching this year's Pride and putting on a day of entertainment from 10am, when Cllr Chris Penberthy will cut a ribbon and give a speech.

Fun then follows, with acts including “powerhouse” singer Roxie Deville, drag acts Mandy-Anne Ket and Kiki With The Devil, and aerial acrobats Tammy Mildren and Megan Fearn of Circus De Fire, performing on the outside decking.

Inside the bar will be a Pride information centre. Providing “knowledge and leaflets on all things LGBTQIA+". The team at Portico have even developed a special Portico Pride cocktail, made with “fresh but secret” ingredients.