We visited El Siete, Soho’s new underground agave bar – here’s why you should too

Tucked beneath the much-loved taco spot El Pastor on Brewer Street, El Siete is one of Soho’s newest underground drinking dens – a low-lit cocktail bar devoted almost entirely to the world of agave. The two-weeks old bar, opened on the 14th of March by the team behind El Pastor, is designed as a late-night hideaway where tequila and mezcal take centre stage, but has the polish of a modern cocktail lounge.

The concept revolves around the number seven – hence the name – with a structured menu divided into neat sections: seven margaritas, seven house agave cocktails, seven reworked classics, and seven non-alcoholic options. Expectedly, Mexican cantinas and Mexico City cocktail culture is the core inspiration here, leaning into smoky mezcals, bright citrus and salt-rimmed classics. Margaritas are a major focus, with riffs that play with spice, fruit and different agave spirits.

We visited the bar recently – here’s all you need to know about the vibe, drinks and food:

The vibe

The space feels intimate and slightly hidden away from the chaos of Soho above. A curved horseshoe bar sits at the centre, lined by bar stools and surrounded by banquettes and low lighting, with flashes of neon and warm pink tones that nod to Mexican modernist design.

Though it feels like a natural extension of the restaurant above, it has a moodier, late-night energy to it. In a neighbourhood where most bars are competing on volume and want you moving, El Siete is refreshingly different: the space is compact and the pace is more relaxed.

The drinks

The three-tier menu is intimidating if you’re an agave novice, but fear not – a few drinks later and you’ll be insufferably opinionated about this spirit (pretty much like we did). Across the three alcoholic menus, we ordered:

• pisco sour (£16) with campo de encanto, pineau des charentes, lime, lemon, egg, amaro chuncho
• grapefruit julep (£14) with finlandia grapefruit, lime, mint, pomegranate, honey
• cantarito (£16)with tequila pa todos blanco, siete pomelo sec, lime, pineapple, sparkling yuzu
• manhattan (£15) with woodford reserve, vermouth blend, aromatic bitters

The pisco sour and cantarito were particularly refreshing and citrus-forward – would absolutely recommend to anyone who likes their drinks bright and fruity. If you’re one for strong, slow sips, the manhattan was very nicely done: dense, woody, a hug in a glass. There’s something for everyone here, and while you can taste the agave throughout, it never overwhelms — if anything, it’s reason enough not to be intimidated by a menu where tequila headlines pretty much every cocktail.

If, like us, you think all good things come in threes, your agave odyssey can’t stop here. So as not to bury ourselves in shame – turning up to an agave bar and skipping the margarita menu – we ordered one promptly. 777 (pictured below) arrives in a thermos, which is not to take home, though it will make you question everything you can put in your work flask. The second was a martini – our usual litmus test for any new bar. It delivered.

The food

There’s also a small selection of tostaditas coming from the El Pastor kitchen upstairs, which are exactly what you want halfway through your second margarita. Tostadita with caramelised banana, dulce de leche and orange chantilly (pictured below) if you’ve got a sweet tooth. That bite-sized piece of temptation was devilishly good.

​Verdict

El Siete is making the case for why tequila and mezcal deserve more credit than a tray of shooters at a hen do – and doing it with class. The cocktails are beautifully crafted and the space feels seductively moody and unrushed – a Soho secret that doesn’t feel like staying one for long. They say seven is the number of perfection, luck, and divinity, and in this bar, the gods of agave are looking out for you.

Key details

Address: 66-70 Brewer Street, Soho, London W1F 9UP

Website: www.tacoselpastor.co.uk/el-siete

Socials: @bar_el_siete

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