The Best MARGARITAS in London
Doesn’t matter what time of year it is, it’s always Margarita time. And we’re here to celebrate the very best salt-rimmed, lime-infused, oh-so-sweet margaritas you get from across the city! #MargaritaMe
📷 @theshrubandshutter
10. The Shrub & Shutter
Kicking off the list with a real iconic mainstay of the Brixton drinks scene, this lovely little cocktail bar and self-proclaimed ‘listening bar’ really brings the noise. And with an ever-changing cocktail menu showcasing some really impressive creative concepts, usually around clever twists on classic recipes, there’s always a reason to return.
Now, although their margarita isn’t currently on the menu, the staff are always too happy to throw one together when asked. In fact they’re always too happy all the time. Stop it, you fantastic bunch of people. But we digress, the margaritas in all their various forms here are brilliant, as are all their cocktails, and the staff, and while we’re at it, the tunes they play are always on point too.
📷 @cavita.restaurante
9. Cavita
Cavita does things a little bit differently to most Mexican restaurants. Avoiding the standard cheap & cheerful taco tequila combo, we instead get the highest standard of Michelin-star Mexican cuisine. The whole experience from when you step through the door is gorgeous. And yes there are tacos, but there’s so much more. Ceviche, sea-bass, carne asada, frijolitos. This is the real Mexico.
Same applies to the drinks menu. Which you can peruse from their subterranean cocktail bar. Serving all your favourite margarita concoctions including traditional, hibiscus, Tommy’s, or spicy, the real winner here is Cavita’s own take on the margarita. It has its own little twist, pairing fantastic tequilas and mezcals with spiced watermelon. So simple yet so delicious.
📷 @thesuntavernbg
8. The Sun Tavern
There is so much character infused into this one place. You walk in and the music is on point, the decor is striped back yet so homely, and the staff are unceasingly charming. Every time we have been we always throw the choice of cocktail to the person behind the bar, and invariably it blows our mind. The consistency of quality is really something else.
Plus what’s really cool is that you can buy pre-made bottles of their cocktails to take away. Going to a dinner party? Turn up with some bottles of Banana Daquiris. Birthday present? East London Negronis. Picnic in the park? Margaritas. And these margs are insane. So smooth, so tasty, so moorish. On a summer’s day there is officially nothing better than this. It would seem strange not to get some.
📷 @santoremedio_uk
7. Santo Remedio
London is not shy of an amazing Mexican restaurant but even with so much choice, Santo Remedio continues to shine. In large part due to their love of Mexico and everything around it stands for. As part of the Slow Food movement, they are using proper traditional cooking techniques with authentic ingredients that are in danger of being lost forever. So you know you’re in for a treat when you tuck into your Soft Shell Crab or Grilled Chicken Tamarind Tacos.
Plus we haven’t even mentioned their amazing selection of tequilas and mezcals. What a lovely segway to talk about Santo Remedio’s perfect margaritas; whether you want the traditional De La Casa one, the fragrant Hibiscus Flower one, the tropical Coconut one, or the spicy Mezcal, you’re in luck cos they’re all amazing. We actually suggest trying all four. It’s the only way to go!
📷 @bodeganegra
6. La Bodega Negra
In the heart of Soho, you’ll find a dubious looking set of neon peep show doors that’ll take you doors some stairs into what can surely only be a BDSM sex dungeon based on the strange mannequins adorning the entrance. But never fear, this is actually one helluva restaurant, that does insane food & drinks, banging tunes, and never takes itself seriously.
Tacos, tacos, and more tacos, is of course the way to go for food. Prawn & pineapple in one hand, fish & avocado in the other, we’re happy. And for drinks? It’s Margarita O’Clock. Yes sir. All day long, every day. Heavy salt rim. Generous tequila pours. Dash of triple sec. The freshest of limes. Ice cold on the rocks. Whisk us away to Mexico. Variations are available, but in our humble opinion the house always wins.
📷 @sidehustlelondon
5. Side Hustle Bar
NoMad is commonly acknowledged as one of the very best hotels in London. With its beautiful architecture, and stunning understated interior design, it’s not hard to see why. And Side Hustle, its agave-obsessed Latin American bar, is maybe one of the very best cocktail bars in London too. With cosy speakeasy vibes, you can easily lose a whole evening holed up here, chatting away with the friendly passionate staff.
As far as drinks are concerned there’s no real wrong answers here, everything will be great. As we said, the staff are passionate about making drinks. But of course we’re here for the margaritas. The rhubarb one is tasty and tangy, the hibiscus one is fresh and so satisfying. But it’s all about the tamarind margarita, such unusual flavours, but someone work so well.
📷 @nightjar
4. Nightjar
We love a trip to Nightjar. The inventiveness of their cocktails is legendary. Not in a gimmicky way, no no. Just fun, creative, surprising, and consistently delightful. Whether it’s the hand-warming flaming Young Man’s Delight, the fog-spewing Lighthouse Punch whale, or the Toucan Colada, which erm is exactly what the name implies, their whole cocktail list is an absolute hoot (and yes they do have an owl cocktail too so pun very much intended).
They also do the classics amazingly well too. Show-offs. That’s where their margarita comes in. Subtle, elegantly-made, all the flavours perfectly combining to spark joy. Sometimes less is more. Not often if the team at Nightjar have it their way. But in this case, yes, the exception is made for a good reason.
📷 @somasoho
3. Soma
Down a tiny flight of stairs at a door with no sign, you’d be hard-pressed to know anything was down here. But SOMA is one of the very best bars in London right now. Once inside, you will find what feels like an escape into another world. Black curtains everywhere, dim lighting setting the mood, and an enormous steel table in the centre of the room that everyone is sitting around, and making drinks at.
Although you can’t really go wrong with anything on the menu, one of our very favourites is the Chaat. This playful margarita twist is made from a lovely mix of (very good quality) tequila and mezcal, some chaat masala, gooseberry, and kumquat. This will be different from anything else you try on the list. And it definitely needs to be tried to be believed.
📷 @tacos_el_pastor
2. El Pastor
The trick to an amazing restaurant in London is often that less is more. El Pastor, a small family-run Mexican group, does two things amazingly well, Tacos, and Margaritas. And sometimes that’s all we need in life. Keep us fed and watered and the rest takes care of itself. For tacos look no further than their namesake Al Pastor tacos, with 24hr marinaded pork shoulder, topped with pineapple, served in their homemade tacos.
And for margaritas, well, strap in as they have a whopping 11 to choose from. Served frozen or on the rocks, mixed with strawberries or avocado, made spicy or sweet, topped up with lager or mezcal, infused with blackberry puree or orange marmalade. The combinations are wonderfully creative and deliciously wild. And we want allllll of them.
📷 @hachabar
1. Hacha
Well let me tell you about this absolute gem of a place, as you're not going find many more bars in London with as good an atmosphere as Hacha Brixton. In a great space up some rickety stairs in Brixton Market you follow the foot-tappingly addictive music and head through the curtains to be teleported across the world to Mexico where the party's going all day every day!
Hacha is London's only Agaveria, meaning they KNOW how to do tequila and mezcal, with an ever-changing list of 25 agave spirits to try, and one helluva cocktail list in tow. Most famous for their Mirror Margarita (one of the tastiest cocktails in London) you would also do well to try some of their other concoctions like the Mayuhel's Gift (¡so good!)