Flying Colours

When Simon Martin decided to call time on Super Whatnot’s masterful innings on Burnett Lane, he did so with the plan of bringing some of his inner-city haunt’s trendiness over the river to West End. Flying Colours, the spacious playground he opened on Vulture Street in July 2023, is infused with much of the same taste-making DNA as Super Whatnot, but with an abundance of indoor and outdoor space to play around with, Simon has clearly gone bigger and better. ⁠Folks have been flocking from far and wide to snag a spot under the pastel-hued, tassel-fringed umbrellas in the leafy courtyard, on a low-set leather banquette in the listening lounge (where a rotating roster of DJs spin wax all night long) or at a table in the dining room, where twirling specks of light ping off a giant disco ball. ⁠ As is to be expected from a Simon Martin venue, the drinks list (filled with natural-leaning wines and slurp-worthy cocktails) is on point, as is the menu of produce-driven fare including crispy pizzas, flash-fried baby squid with chilli and caper aioli, pan-fried artichoke hearts with capers and caramelised onion, and arancini with porcini, shiitake, cashew e pepe and pecorino. Flying Colours has adopted Super Whatnot’s catchphrase, declaring ‘It’s nice here, too’. We wholeheartedly agree.⁠