National Margarita Day is this Thursday
Other cocktails try their darndest, but none can be the margarita. Mixologists work round the clock to devise complicated newcomers but really, all you ever want is a marg.
Here are seven to taste this week: one for dancing with, one to celebrate Saltburn, one that looks like water – whatever your vibe, we’ve got you covered for margaritas in London this National Margarita Day.
A marg at the trendiest Mexican restaurant in town right now
‘Mexican food, British ingredients’ is the simple, effective premise behind Kol, the contemporary restaurant in Marylebone. It’s a tasting menu sort of place, where six courses is the norm, giving you a fanciful overview of Mexico’s food cultures in one sitting. Book a table for an after-dinner margarita in the Mezcaleria where there are some astonishingly good tequilas, like you’d imagine, mixed by some astonishingly good bartenders.
A marg by the ‘world’ best bartender’
‘World’s best barman’ Ryan Chetiyawardana is quite obviously a safe pair of hands, and while his Lyanesse bar on the Southbank is very much about trying something different, we’d rate their classic margarita every day of the week. We’re not a fan of over complicating the humble marg – but if you are going to ‘give it a spin’ by adding new flavours, this is the place to do it well.
A marg that goes see-through
Hacha is the place to go for a marg in London. Like Swift in Soho, it’s the sort of hip cocktail bar that just looks cool in the way that suggests you can trust it before you even go in. Then you go in and have a bloody amazing time. Their ‘Mirror Margarita’ is multi award-winning, and involves some jiggery-pokery that makes it look like water when it is in fact a delicious margarita. What a treat. There are outposts in Dalston and Brixton.
How about with avocado?
This National Margarita Day El Pastor has a frozen marg (a summer essential) but with a pretty unusual twist: avocado. The millennial fave has lots of natural fat which adds creamy notes to the usual crisp marg, and they add passionfruit too. We wouldn’t trust barely anyone which this frankly mad-sounding creation, but the El Pastor group, with a handful of restaurants around London, are some of the good guys.
A marg made by ‘agents of social change’
Cavita Mexican restaurant on Wigmore Street has some stupendously colourful looking food, which celebrates the “flavour, colour and traditions” of the country. The restaurant is particularly passionate about educating Londoners on Mexican farming and food processes, using their food as “agents of social change.” For National Margarita Day they have developed the Cavita Margarita, with additional mezcal and fresh watermelon.
A Saltburn marg, ’cause obviously
Bar Antoine on Park Lane recently shook ice-cool shakers for the EE BAFTA Rising Star Party, and for the occasion mixologists created the Saltburn Margarita to honour nominee Jacob Elordi. It’s a little sweeter than your traditional marg, with 20ml of agave nectar alongside the traditional 90ml serving of Don Julio Blanco tequila and 50ml of freshly squeezed lime juice, served with a spicy rim. They’re making the drink available to the public for National Margarita Day.
A dance with a marg in your hand
Salsa Bar on Tottenham Court Road is something of an institution. It’s a rare place where you’ll find bridge-and-tunnel tourists and London locals too, who accept the crowd because, well, it’s just so fun in there. There are nightly salsa dancing classes, which even if you don’t attend are energising to sit and watch happen with something spicy in hand. For National Margarita Day they’re partnering with the Cazcabel Tequila brand to throw ‘master your margarita’ masterclasses where you can make your own, but you can also just pop in for a dance and a bloody good drink (made by someone else, don’t worry.) Salsa Temple on 22 February for the masterclass and Salsa Soho for the all-round good times.
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