In celebration of National Margarita Day on 22 February, The Resident tracked down some of the best margaritas in town to help you plan your happy hour …
1The Jam Tree, Chelsea
The Jam Tree might be known more for their great beer gardens, but this Margarita Day, stop by during happy hour for a half priced margarita, using specially aged Mezcal and their chipotle Tabasco.
541 Kings Rd, London SW6 2EB, United Kingdom; thejamtree.com
The lively bar at The Jam Tree is perfect for a festive Margarita Day
2DF/Mexico, Soho
DF/Mexico serves margaritas three mouth-watering ways: classic, raspberry & hibiscus, and passionfruit. Each one includes a double shot of 100% agave tequila, so these are not for the weak.
28-29 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 1BL; dfmexico.co.uk
DF/Mexico serves up three flavours of delicious margaritas
3Crazy Homies, Notting Hill
Crazy Homies has a long list of house-made margaritas to help you celebrate Margarita Day. Downstairs, the Chamucos Clubhouse has booths for a night out with friends, a margarita bar with professional mixologists, and plenty of wild and wonderful cocktails. For example, the Chilli Margarita with muddled red chilli and coriander and Chamucos Blanco, served on the rocks.
125 Westbourne Park Road, London W2 5QL, United Kingdom; crazyhomies.com
4Barrio’s- various locations
Barrio’s has been mixing mouth-watering margs in locations all across London for years, from Barrio Central in the heart of Soho, to Shoreditch, Essex, Covent Garden, and Battersea. They keep their margaritas simple and classic to preserve the drink’s signature tartness, and even better, they come at just £5 during ‘Amigo hour.’
Barrio Central: 6 Poland Street, London W1F 8PS, United Kingdom; barriocentral.com
Tommy’s Margarita, found at Barrio’s, comes with a kick
5El Nivel, Covent Garden
Relatively new on the London drinks scene, El Nivel is part of the same family as La Perla Bar & Grill and Café Pacifico. El Nivel brings the margarita to a new level of quality and class with a wide variety of exclusive tequilas, mezcals, bacanoras, sotols, and raicillas. El Nivel strives for perfect balance and classic elegance in all their drinks and offers a variety of high-end margaritas like the Ancho margarita, with chilli liqueur and smoked sea salt.
28 Maiden Lane, London WC2E 7JS, United Kingdom; elnivel.co.uk
6El Camion, Soho
El Camion has a huge selection of margaritas, including the classic Tommy’s. The sunny atmosphere brings London a taste of Baja California and Northwest Mexico. This Margarita Day, their basement Baja cocktail bar, The Pink Chihuahua, is ideal for celebrating with a little salt and lime.
25-27 Brewer Street, London W1F 0RR, United Kingdom; elcamion.co.uk
El Camion brings London a taste of Baja California
7Cantina Laredo, Covent Garden
Cantina Laredo offers up traditional Mexican food and drinks. Their signature margarita is the ‘Casa Rita,’ with Casa Ambar 100% Agave Blanco Tequila and fresh lime. There’s a Purist Margarita for those who love a classic. Most mouth-watering, perhaps, is their freshly-squeezed Watermelon Margarita for a true taste of Mexican summer.
10 Upper St Martin’s Lane, St Martin’s courtyard, London, WC2H 9FB; cantinalaredo.co.uk
Try a refreshing Watermelon Margarita at Cantina Laredo
8Comensal, Clapham
In Clapham, Comensal combines a sunny atmosphere with Mexican food so good they’ve opened restaurants in Mexico City itself. They serve up clean, tart margaritas and other tequila drinks, so whether you want a good old frozen margarita or something a little more off the beaten track, Comensal can help you out.
32 Abbeville Road, Clapham Common South Side, London SW4 9NG, United Kingdom; comensal.co.uk
9Mestizo, Campden
Mestizo has one of the largest displays of tequila in the whole of the UK, affording them a diverse selection of margaritas. Some of their signature flavours include cucumber, jalapeno, ginger, and classics like strawberry or lime. And if you’d like to train your tequila palette, they have a tequila tasting menu, where flights of different tequilas are served with a red and green sangria palette cleanser. (Check back with Mestizo in August as well, for their month long Margarita Festival.)
103 Hampstead Road, London NW1 3EL, United Kingdom; mestizomx.com
10 Mezcel Cantina, Dalston
This Dalston hotspot offers up authentic Mexican food and drinks–not fusion Mexican food but pure, honest Mexican cuisine. Their bright, bold margarita menu includes Hibiscus, Tamarind and Horchata margaritas.
127 Kingsland High Street, Dalston, London E8 2PB, United Kingdom; mezcalcantinabar.com
Mezcal specializes in authentic Mexican food and drinks in the heart of Dalston
11Tequila Tex-Mex, Notting Hill
Bright and lively, Tequila Tex-Mex, just by Hyde Park, serves frozen margaritas by the glass or pitcher. Better yet, they have daily specials for margarita and meals, making this spot delicious and on budget for even the most frugal diners.
19-21 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JQ, United Kingdom; tequilatex-mex.co.uk
12Tonteria, Chelsea
Tonteria serves Mexican tapas with tequila cocktails, and once the sun goes down, the lights dim and it transforms into a stylish, wild nightspot. There’s a DJ and even a toy train that delivers drinks to your table. The margaritas are creative and fun, like the TonteFizz, with Perrier Jouet champagne on top, to be shared with friends, or the electric TonteAvatar, with blue Curacao.
7-12 Sloane Square, London SW1W 8EG, United Kingdom; tonteria.co.uk
BONUSES:
Café Pacifico Margarita Masterclass, Covent Garden
In celebration of Margarita Day, Café Pacifico and 1800 Tequila will host a free Margarita Masterclass on the evening of Monday 22 February. Attendants will have the chance to taste the premium 1800 Tequila range, which is made from pure, 100% blue agave, and learn from the experts how to mix a banging margarita. Café Pacifico has also crafted the 1800 Pinche Choco Margarita for the occasion, to be the flagship of their exclusive Margarita menu that will run from Friday 19 February to Sunday 28 February. This decadent margarita is light, citrusy and chocolaty and topped with delicate white chocolate shavings, in a flavoured mint rim.
5 Langley St, London WC2H 9JA; 02073797728; cafe-pacifico.com
Celebrate with Cafe Pacifico’s Margarita Day creation
Below & Hidden Margarita Masterclass, Clerkenwell
If Margarita Day has come and gone and you’re still not satisfied, B&H Buildings has just the thing. Thursday 25 February, they’re hosting a Margarita Masterclass as well, in the lovely Below & Hidden clubroom, where guests are given a margarita on arrival, before Herradura Brand Ambassador Nicci Stringfellow discusses tequila and demonstrates how to make a margarita. It’s the perfect way to bring an end to this week’s Margarita extravaganza.
40 Northampton Rd, London EC1R 0HU; bourneandhollingsworth.com
Learn how to mix your own margarita after Margarita Day