The best mezcal bars in London

London’s current infatuation with all things agave has spawned dozens of new bars specialising in the Mexican spirits du jour. But while you might find more extensive collections of tequila and mezcal elsewhere, few agave-focused bars can match the sophistication of this elegant Latin American-themed spot in the Grade II-listed former Police Station that now houses the NoMad hotel. Most cocktails are agave-based, but the menu also incorporates a host of trendy ingredients from across the globe, from yuzu and white miso to pandan and cachaça. 

Cinco is part of the great Corrochio’s empire. Once known as Ruby’s, this cosy basement is now a dedicated agave spirits den. Prepare to be impressed: the cocktail menu is adventurous, with a Gibson martini made using Mexican gin and nectarine, and El Papatzul, heady with fermented apple and pear tepache as well as calvados and served with a side of Oaxacan grasshoppers. 

Hacha was the capital’s first ‘agaveria’ complete with a shelf of numbered spirit bottles (in regular rotation) made using Mexico’s native agave plant. So that includes mezcal, tequila, sotol and raicilla. Anything from the shelf can be sampled neat, like a flight of three mezcals. And then there is the award-winning Mirror Margarita, an extraordinary marg that sparkles in the sunlight, and had just as dazzling levels of sourness and salinity. Hacha makes exploring mezcal seriously entertaining.

Tucked away in Stoke Newington, you’ll find this basement venue, which is home to a whole host of brilliant music, cabaret, queer comedy and drag shows, as well a menu brimming with mezcal cocktails, including a moreish mezcal negroni. 

Carousel isn’t just home to short-term residencies from some of the world’s top gastronomic players, it’s also where you'll find No 23, a 23-seater mezcalería serving up ace agave cocktails. No. 23’s Pina Colada is a thing of utter beauty, made using coconut water rather than cream, as well as banana liqueur. The result? A dangerously drinkable nostalgia hit. 

Drink a variety of mezcals by the glass (there are 23 to try in total) or get the cocktails in at this Mexican restaurant near London Bridge. The piña al carbón is like a smoky piña colada.

Downstairs at posh Mexican restaurant Kol you will find their cosy mezcal bar, which is almost as fancy as the food Santiago Lastra serves up. Everything has a mezcal twist, including old fashioneds and sours. Why not go even further outside of the box with a Mountain Man, made with marigold, carrot and egg white.

Handsome Bethnal Green bar Little Fires boasts warm, colourful decor, a slick listening area downstairs area, and a short but impressive food menu made in partnership with renowned Oaxaca bar Sabina Sabe and its chef Rodolfo Castellanos. As with the food, the cocktail menu is very punchy – there are only actually four mezcal-based entries (also partnered with Sabina Sabe), but they’re all bangers.

This basement is one of those Soho sweet spots – hidden away, a little bit naughty and packed to the rafters with mezcal. They list close to 50 varieties, from common espadín to rare and wonderful tepeztate.

At Corrochio’s, you’ll find chef and founder Daniel Carillo cooking up a punch-pulling menu that revolves around regional Mexician specials (including huaraches, a flatbread-ish dish) and the three Ts; tacos, tortas and tostadas. Downstairs it’s the Cantina, and mezcal runs the show. The smoky mezcalita might just be the most moreish cocktail in all of Hackney; tart and zingy thanks to jalapeno syrup and an all-conquering Tajin rim. 

Celebrate Mexico’s perennial plant and giver of mezcal at a Covent Garden bar legendary for the hard stuff. Although they’re perhaps better known here for being at the centre of the tequila universe, they stock a solid range of mezcals too.

Either the best idea ever or a recipe for a resaca (that’s hangover in Spanish), Dalston party bar Del 74 offers pay-as-you-go pouring bottles of mezcal to its tables of taco-scoffing diners. A marker on the bottle will indicate how much you get through and best of all, there’s no such thing as shame in the fun-loving joint.