'A love letter to the analogue age': Domino Club team to open new Leeds bar Paper Plane

In an era where many people are starting to move away from solely living online, one Leeds venue has decided to throw things back to a simpler time - despite the assurances back then technology was going to make things simple.

Hindsight being 20/20, technology hasn't always made hospitality warmer or more personal.

Enter Paper Plane: an intimate new 40-to-50-capacity venue opening in the Grand Arcade this October.

Created by Palagander - the independent team behind Leeds staples Roland's, The Domino Club, and The Woods - alongside drinks producer Double Six Drinks, the bar is designed as a deliberate "love letter to the analogue age."

Rather than leaning into QR codes, digital booking systems, or AI-generated design, Paper Plane is pulling back toward genuine human connection.

Bookings will be taken over the telephone, floor staff will write orders using a pen and pad, and soundtracking will be played exclusively on vinyl.

Even the bar's front signage will be painted by hand directly onto the glass rather than digitally printed.

"I've always loved things that are transient but still have an incredible amount of care put into them," explains co-founder Alexander Neil. "An old airline ticket is a perfect example. It only needed to get you onto an aeroplane, but somebody still took the time to make this beautiful physical object.

“Now it's a QR code on your phone. It's more efficient, but there's nothing to keep. Paper Plane isn't about pretending technology doesn't exist or recreating the past. It's about taking some of that care, craft and beauty and bringing it into something we're making now."

Instead of mimicking a specific era, the bar draws mood and inspiration from a collection of tactile moments: the glamour of 1970s Hollywood, the ritual of Japanese listening bars, the golden age of air travel, and vintage printed objects.

Behind the bar, the menu centres around cocktails and whisky.

Developed by Milo Cooper and Miley Penndragon alongside the Palagander team, the drinks program operates more like a kitchen pass than a conventional bar setup. Cocktails move through a series of dedicated stations, passing between bartenders as individual components are prepared, assembled, and finished.

The venue takes its name from the modern classic 2008 cocktail created by bartender Sam Ross.

"When we started thinking about names for this place, Paper Plane just felt right," Neil says. "It's a brilliant drink and one of those rare modern cocktails that's become part of the canon. But the more we worked with the name, the more it seemed to fit what the bar was becoming - analogue, physical, made by hand and ultimately transient."

For the team, the goal is simple: attentive, seated service where guest interaction takes priority over screen time.

"Ultimately, a night in a bar is transient too," Neil adds. "You order a drink and then it's gone. The record finishes. The night ends. But if it's done properly, you leave with a memory.

“That's what we're interested in."

Follow Paper Plane Leeds on Instagram or through their official website ahead of October’s launch.