A glossy new arrival has noisy neighbours to contend with
12:33, 28 Feb 2026Updated 13:17, 28 Feb 2026
Deluca’s in Concert Square(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
The now lost student haunt MODO has undergone a dramatic transformation, reopening as an upmarket, Las Vegas-inspired cocktail bar named Deluca’s. The Concert Square venue is a showstopper from the jump, but how the team directs this new venture will determine whether it marks the beginning of an exciting new era for the area or simply becomes a glossy flash in the pan before inevitably being reclaimed by the students.
In my own friendship group, even at the peak of our bar-hopping freshers phase, MODO was consistently overshadowed by its neighbour Soho. Offering pretty much the same experience but with more polish, Soho regularly won our business. I’d be lying if anyone I knew was ever a fan of MODO. After 30 years, owner Baa Bar Ltd closed MODO’s doors for good, and I wasn’t too fussed.
When the new concept was revealed as Liverpool’s answer to a Vegas-style cocktail bar, I anticipated little more than a gold-trimmed facelift. Having now visited Deluca’s in person, I can confidently say I was mistaken. The transformation is genuinely remarkable.
Deluca’s is a far cry from its past self. The bar ditches the open-space layout, opting instead for deep-red velvet booths, table tops with stylish lamps guiding guests around the venue, and reasonable space to dance if the occasion calls for it. There are also ornate trees to drink around stretching to the roof.
Deluca’s first floor
Upstairs on the first floor is a different story. There are pool tables, patterned pouffes, chairs, smaller tables and seating options scattered around. Across Deluca’s, the designer opted for dark, cosy aesthetics, including crimson floor-to-ceiling curtains complemented by crimson overhead lights, dark herringbone panelling, retro shapes and chic, muted-colour patterns. The brightest lights come from the box-sectioned back bar, and they barely spill into the rest of the room.
Deluca’s is a shockingly beautiful takeover that left me and my party in complete awe. Although some club-like elements remain, it is mostly a cocktail bar. I don’t think any of us ever expected such beauty to come from Concert Square. Deluca’s wouldn’t be out of place in one of the city’s more prominent cocktail bar areas, such as Castle Street.
The sprawling beer garden under heated lamps remains untouched, presumably offering the same respite that MODO did to anyone who fancies a summery drink or smoke during a night out.
The atmosphere was the most sophisticated I’ve experienced in Concert Square, and although that doesn’t sound like a resounding compliment, it is one. The question is: how will Deluca’s retain its upmarket atmosphere and setting in such a student stronghold?
Deluca’s in Concert Square(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Will staff be expected to shoo boozy customers away from stepping inside the venue if they’re not meeting the mark in terms of attire and presence? It creates a muddled picture of the targeted clientele.
On one hand, Deluca’s is a glossy cocktail bar that deserves a gentle touch. On the other hand, are the students who called MODO home for years expected to elevate their behaviour? If not, wouldn’t that bring down the level of sophistication? I don’t imagine people dressing for Mayfair, but casual wear and sportswear don’t fit the aesthetic.
People don’t go to Concert Square for a classy one; they go to get smashed. My concern is that Deluca’s is too upscale for the area and won’t be appreciated for the high-end setting it has created. When I asked staff how they would police the new standards – customers, dress codes and behaviour – no one had an answer.
Deluca’s in Concert Square
I would love to see Deluca’s retain its class and completely change that corner of Concert Square, potentially marking a new era for the scene. I would return for a pre-dinner drink or wine gathering despite outgrowing most of the area. But if the bar becomes MODO 2.0 with just a fresh aesthetic, I think it’d be a shame.
I would hate to see such a glossy new arrival reduced to being known as just another Connie Square space. People should make the journey, even just once, to experience the venue. I highly recommend popping in because my friends and I had a wonderful evening. The staff were great, and obviously, the interiors were gorgeous.
I think one of the biggest questions that needs answering is whether it’s truly a fancy Las Vegas cocktail bar or a student bar and beer garden, because, personally, I don’t feel it can be both.
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