Tinsel, the Christmas-theme bar, returns in Center City
The popular Christmas-theme bar Tinsel returns for a second year.
Tinsel, the Christmas-theme cocktail and craft-beer bar, will return for a second season at 116 S. 12th St. in Washington Square West in a larger space with added twinkle — and a red-and-gold Santa throne designed for holiday selfies.
Tinsel will run from Dec. 6 through New Year’s Day in the former Simpson’s jewelry store, next to Finn McCool’s.
Teddy Sourias and Craft Concepts Group, who operate Tradesman’s, BRU Craft & Wurst, Cinder Copper & Lace, U-Bahn, Uptown Beer Garden, and Kontrol, as well as Finn McCool’s, have retained the services of Anne White to handle the decor. She created a Christmas bow wall featuring more than 1,000 Christmas bows, and in the back room built a Christmas ornament chandelier created from more than 500 glass and plastic ornament balls.
The top of the bar in the main room has been swapped out for a 33-footer created by local artist Scott Johnston, whose work is also found at Silk City Diner and Franky Bradly’s.
Johnston pays homage to icons and villains of Christmas with artwork featuring Christmas Gremlin (Spike), Krampus, Snow Miser, Winter Warlock, Jack Skellington, Heat Miser and White Walker (from Game of Thrones). Above the bar, look for the Grinch, Bumble, Oogie Boggie Man and Robot Santa. Johnston also created new Christmas collage wall murals in the back of Tinsel using actual Christmas cards and magazines from Jinxed on East Passyunk, plus his own vintage designs.
Three chandeliers resembling gift boxes hang over the main bar. Above the bar is a nine-foot tall gingerbread house on one side, with a full-length winter scene with Santa and his reindeer on the other.
Also, this year, Robert Drake of WXPN has created the bar’s playlist.
One cocktail, served in a take-home Tinsel “soup can,” benefits MANNA. Another cocktail, made of Grey Goose La Vanille and White Cranberry, is served in a snow globe with edible snow.
Hours: 5 to 10 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 2 p.m. to midnight Wednesday through Friday, noon to midnight Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.