A decade on from helping kickstart London’s love affair with Mexican cuisine, the founders of El Pastor have torn out the bar beneath their Soho outpost and started completely afresh.
Well, almost. Mexico’s wealth of agave spirits remains at the heart of the subterranean space – previously a mezcal bar – which has been reimagined to eschew any clichéd stereotypes of the central American country’s culture. Instead, it channels the modernist charm associated with neighbourhoods such as Roma and Condesa in Mexico City.
Now it’s a warm neon-lit space peppered with the vivid colours and volcanic textures associated with seminal Mexican architect Luis Barragán. Co-founder Crispin Somerville says the basement, which previously shared an entrance with the restaurant above, had always struggled to feel like a destination in its own right. “No matter what we did to it, it always felt like an overflow to the restaurant,” he says. “Actually, we wanted that space to be a naughty drinking den.”
And it’s worked. The name, which means “the seven” in Spanish, lends itself to the menu's design, which features seven Margaritas, seven agave-led cocktails and seven classic drinks, some gently zhuzhed up for maximum fun.
Developed alongside long-time collaborators from drinks consultancy Soulshakers, the Margaritas are, unsurprisingly, the star of the show. The 777 is inspired by the Margaritas served in the luscious gardens of Mexico City institution San Ángel Inn, which arrive ice-cold in a stainless-steel flask containing three precious pours. “Margaritas tend to disappear if they’re straight up quite quickly,” says co-founder Sam Hart. “So, the idea of having a freezing-cold refill really appealed to us.”
Meanwhile, a trio of traffic light-coloured spicy Margaritas – green, amber and red – ramps up the heat with escalating chilli levels, designed to test the varying tolerances of often spice-shy Londoners. A tightly curated crop of around 60 tequilas and mezcals, including a new small-batch mezcal produced specifically for the El Pastor team, also sits behind the bar.
Alongside chile de árbol popcorn, the food menu features snacky bits made for snaffling at speed. A short list of seven mini tostadas made with the restaurant’s house-nixtamalised corn tortillas feature toppings such as yellowfin tuna with chipotle mayo and even a sweet option with caramelised banana that’s drizzled with dulce de leche.
The music programme is also off to a strong start. Instead of resident DJs, the team has opted for seasonal playlists curated by musicians, chefs and cultural figures who have been given a vague “cosmic cantina” brief. “The DJ can be distracting,” says Somerville. “We want to build a space that’s conducive to people having a really nice time.”
The first is by Tommy Gold, the London-born DJ known for atmospheric forward-thinking sets at Phonox and Fabric, as well as on NTS and Rinse FM. He’ll be followed by chef Lee Tiernan, the force behind FKABAM (formerly Black Axe Mangal), whose irreverent, genre-splicing taste will shape the next season’s soundtrack, before Kim Turnbull – a British Asian DJ with a rhythm-driven, globally honed style – takes over.
Sobremesa, anyone?
El Siete
66–70 Brewer Street, W1F 9UP
Hours:
Daily 5pm–1am
