As Valentine's season approaches in London, a new riverside cocktail bar is offering couples a unique opportunity to reconnect through a carefully crafted sensory experience. Flo Bar, located at Fulham Pier on the Thames, has partnered with behavioural psychologist and relationship expert Jo Hemmings to develop a limited-edition cocktail menu for February, designed to slow down interactions and enhance emotional connection.
A Sensory Approach to Connection
Beverage Manager Stefano Chila and Jo Hemmings have created a menu that translates behavioural insights into beautifully considered serves. Each cocktail is rooted in classic structures but subtly engineered to influence mood, relaxation, and interpersonal bonding. The concept centres on the idea that attraction and connection are often shaped by subtle sensory cues rather than conversation alone.
"When people share a sensory experience that feels comfortable and considered, they tend to relax, open up and feel more in step with one another," explains Hemmings. "That sense of ease is often where connection begins."
The Valentine's Cocktail Edit
The limited-edition menu features five carefully designed serves, each targeting different senses to foster connection:
- Rose & Strawberry Negroni: This cocktail releases soft floral notes of sakura and rose mist before the first sip, drawing on aromas linked to comfort and familiarity.
- Butterfly Collins: A colour-shifting serve designed to spark shared attention and anticipation, paired with fresh, clean flavours.
- Flo Milk Punch: Whey-clarified for a naturally silky texture, this indulgent serve layers rum, cacao, coconut, banana and citrus into a smooth, balanced profile.
- Pomegranate Margarita: Sweet, sour, bitter and gentle heat collide in this creation, with a touch of scotch bonnet adding warmth and a subtle lift in energy.
- Strawberries & Cream (Non-Alcoholic): Vanilla and strawberry evoke nostalgic, reassuring aromas perfect for relaxed conversation.
Creating the Right Atmosphere
The sensory experience extends beyond the cocktails themselves. From February, selected evenings at Flo Bar will feature low-tempo live music, with a piano introduced to the space to reflect behavioural insights around rhythm, calm and shared ease. This complements the bar's existing philosophy of creating a pause from the pace of everyday life.
"Flo Bar has always been about creating a pause from the pace of everyday life," says Chila. "With the river always in view, it's a place where people can take their time and really enjoy being together. These cocktails follow that same idea easy to settle into, but with details that make the moment feel special."
Valentine's Day Packages and Availability
The Valentine's cocktail edit will be available throughout February at Flo Bar. For those specifically celebrating on Valentine's Day, tables will be available to book on the evening of 13 February and all day on 14 February. A special Valentine's package priced at £55 for two includes two Valentine's cocktails, Gallagher oysters, smoked salmon blinis and chocolate truffles.
Flo Bar sits alongside Brasserie Constance, the modern British brasserie by Michelin-starred chef Adam Byatt, and represents one of the newest openings at Fulham Pier. This growing riverside destination continues to bring together food, drink and year-round cultural experiences, with Flo Bar's psychological approach to cocktails adding a distinctive dimension to London's Valentine's offerings.
