
Peaky Blinders fans, it’s time to dust off your dapper flat caps, warm up your least offensive Birmingham brogue and resist the urge to stitch razorblades into your clothes. From March 20 to 22, Ossington’s Man of Kent will transform into the show’s cigarette-hazed old-timey English pub, the Garrison (not to be confused with the non-fictional Toronto bar called the Garrison, which is nearby).
Related: What’s one the menu at Man of Kent, a British pub on Ossington taking its food to the next level
The immersive pop-up bar at Man of Kent supports the release of The Immortal Man, a feature-length film set in the Peaky Blinders universe that hits Netflix March 20. The six-season TV show followed the rise of fictional gangster Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy), charting the beginnings of his empire after the First World War. The movie jumps ahead to an older Tommy, now living in exile, who’s pulled back to action for a wartime sabotage mission—and to clean up the mess his son, played by Barry Keoghan, has made of the Shelby legacy.
Related: Toronto’s best new British pubs
For three days, visitors can enjoy temporary tattoos and a gangland-inspired family portrait studio. The bar will lean into the gritty mood with dark lighting and a familiar soundtrack inspired by the show’s score. The ’40s-era cocktails will be flowing—but true Tommy Shelby fans know the only spirit worth a lick is Irish whiskey served neat with a side of silently swallowed inner turmoil.
The pop-up will run from 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday and noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Entry is free, but guests must be over 19. It’s first come, first served, so keep in mind that the space is likely to fill up quickly. While there’s no mandatory dress code, guests are encouraged to commit to the theme, so dig out your best tweed suit, sharpen your cheekbones and practise your brooding thousand-yard stare.
Lindsey King is a Toronto-based writer and editor whose work can be found in Toronto Life, Maclean’s, Canada’s 100 Best and more. She is interested in arts and culture, food and drink, architecture, design, and real estate stories