London loves a speakeasy these days, and throwing its sombrero into the covert cocktail bar ring is Mayahuel - a little mezcaleria tucked away underneath Cavita restaurant. The first thing to note is that this bar is only accessible through the restaurant (hence the speakeasy vibe). That has pros and cons - it feels a little more private than your average bar, but it can also lack the buzz of something more clearly signposted.
That was emphasised by the decor - a rustic combo of exposed brick, terracotta, stone and plaster, which can feel a little cold when the bar is empty. As the evening wore on and the bar filled with pre-dinner drinkers and mezcal aficionados, the space came to life a little.
Staff do a fantastic (and necessary) job of explaining the large mezcal selection and recommending different drinks to try, depending on your taste. The menu also breaks things down nicely so you can gravitate towards your preference of sweet, bitter, smoky or sour. We dabbled with a Jalisco Sour (Arete Blanco, jalapeños, lime juice, agave syrup and egg white) and a cracking spicy mezcalita, as well as a few expertly recommended mezcals. Drinks are fantastic, but with serves starting at £10 (up to the lofty heights of £48 for some rare tequila and mezcals) and cocktails ranging between £14-25, drinks at Mayahuel aren’t cheap.
The same is true for the food, which is all delicious, but feels more like restaurant food than bar food. We’d like to see a few more nibbles on the menu, like the delicious garlic and chilli-spiked Oaxacan peanuts and baked tortilla chips with a range of chilli sauces we tried. We also devoured tuna, avocado and sesame tostadas, and incredible smoky beef shin quesabirrias, and though they didn’t totally fit the speakeasy vibe, they did at least make us want to eat in the restaurant upstairs.
Still, if you’re a mezcal fan, the quality drinks list is reason enough to come visit. We’d recommend coming for a few drinks, then going all in at Cavita upstairs for the full experience.