Ah, the margarita. It’s, perhaps, the most unifying and beloved cocktail of them all. There’s something about the blend of earthy tequila and bright, zippy, lime that will never cease to intoxicate us – quite literally! And with Margarita Day (February 22) just around the corner, it’s time to figure out where we’ll be celebrating. So, here’s the Secret London guide to the best bars in our city serving up the very best margaritas.
1. Hacha, Dalston and Bermondsey
We kind of have to start here – after all, they opened the first agaveria in London! And at Hacha, the margaritas are so popular and so delicious that they’re the stuff of London legend. There’s no better place to start than with the Mirror Margarita, where the Hacha lore began. The crystal-clear margarita looks harmless, but packs plenty of flavour – and punch! (Psst… you can also buy bottles of it to take home and impress your friends.)
They’re also opening a new venue in Bermondsey on Margarita Day – there’s surely no better place to celebrate!
📍 Hacha Dalston, 378 Kingsland Road, E8 4AA. The nearest stations are Dalston Junction and Haggerston.
📍 Hacha Bermondsey, 157 Tower Bridge Road, SE1 3LW. The nearest station is Brixton.
2. Corrochio’s, Dalston
Image: @corrochios, via IG
We couldn’t write this list and not mention one of the best Mexican eateries in London. The margaritas at Corrochio’s are absolutely thrilling – and are easily among the best margaritas in town. If you’re feeling adventurous, go for the Margarita a la Diabla, which is, by all accounts, one of the spiciest in the UK. (Psst… At the downstairs Corrochio’s Cantina, Happy Hour margaritas are just £8 before 7pm!)
📍 76 Stoke Newington Rd, London N16 7XB. The nearest stations are Dalston Kingsland and Rectory Road.
3. Satan’s Whiskers, Bethnal Green
Image: @satans_whiskers, via IG
Having recently been named the best cocktail bar in the UK (for the third time), you can be sure they know what they’re doing at this neighbourhood favourite. Satan’s Whiskers’ menu changes every day, but the skilled bartenders here can make you pretty much any drink you ask for – including a truly perfect margarita.
📍 343 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9RA. The nearest stations are Bethnal Green and Cambridge Heath.
4. Cavita, Marylebone
We’ve got two words for you: ‘watermelon margarita’. And this ain’t the typical sugar-laden drink you’d typically associate with a watermelon margarita. The Cavita Margarita adds fresh spiced watermelon to balance the sour lime for the ultimate refresher that you’ll have to keep from downing in one. As if that wasn’t enough, they also do standard, spicy, and hibiscus margaritas. Be still my beating heart…
All this and more are also available at the downstairs El Bar De Cavita, where guests can enjoy a wide range of Margarita serves.
📍 56-60 Wigmore Street, W1U 2RZ. The nearest station is Bond Street.
5. Viajante87, Notting Hill
We’ve heaped absolute bundles of praise upon Viajante87 in the past, and it’s definitely one of the best places to order a margarita in London. Their travel-focused menu aims to expose London’s drinkers to the possibilities and flavours of Latin America and opens with the ‘Be Comfortable’ selection of drinks. Spearheaded by a stunning Spicy Margarita, these drinks take familiar classics and give them a Viajante87 twist.
📍 Basement, 87 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JZ. The nearest station is Notting Hill Gate.
6. Nightjar, Soho and Shoreditch
Nightjar are renowned for their inventive twists on cocktail classics, earning them a spot on this list of the best margaritas in London. And both of their sites have some delicious margs to try. And if you head to their Soho bar, they’re serving margaritas for just £10 all through February.
If you visit their Shoreditch bar, though, be sure to try the El Rey, which takes the margarita off into unexplored new lands.
📍 Nightjar Shoreditch: 129 City Road, EC1B 1JB. The nearest station is Old Street.
📍 Nightjar Carnaby: Kingly Court, 49-51 Carnaby Street, W1F 9PY. The nearest station is Oxford Circus.
7. Callooh Callay, Shoreditch and Chelsea
Image: @calloohcallaybar, via IG
If you head to Callooh Callay, one of London’s OG high-quality and low-pretension cocktail bars, you’ll find yourself face-to-face with a flawlessly executed margarita. And frankly, that’s all we’re asking for – right?
📍 Callooh Callay Shoreditch, 65 Rivington Street, EC2A 3QQ. The nearest stations are Shoreditch High Street or Old Street.
📍 Callooh Callay Chelsea, 316-318 King’s Road, SW3 5UH. The nearest stations are South Kensington or Sloane Square.
8. The Sun Tavern, Bethnal Green
This famously raucous neighbourhood bar can always be depended on for delicious cocktails at affordable prices that don’t skimp on quality or flavour. The menu is short and sweet, but carefully considered. Be sure to check out the margarita-meets-dirty-martini riffing The Real Housewives with its mix of Ocho Blanco Tequila, Quiquiriquí Mezcal, Prickly Pear, Manzanilla, Perello Olive, and Smoked Almond.
📍 441 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AN. The nearest station is Bethnal Green.
9. Korean Dinner Party, Soho
Image: @koreandinnerparty, via IG
Korean Dinner Party is a frenetic mix of east-meets-west dishes, kitsch cocktails, craft sake, and Korean hip-hop. So, essentially, it’s an incredibly fun time! They also have a contender for one of London’s best margaritas in the form of their delicious Yuzu Spicy Margarita. It promises ‘citrus, spice, and everything nice’.
📍 Top Floor, Kingly Court, Carnaby, W1B 5PW. The nearest stations are Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus.
10. Hakkasan, Fitzrovia and Mayfair
For truly unique (and sophisticated) margarita sipping, you’ll want to head to one of Hakkasan’s London restaurants. There, the ultra-special Silk Road Margarita awaits – a special blend of pistachio-infused tequila, pineapple, lime, and cardamom. You’ve never tasted a margarita like this before!
📍 Hakkasan Hanway Place: 8 Hanway Place, Fitzrovia, W1T 1HD.
📍 Hakkasan Mayfair: 17 Bruton St, Mayfair, W1J 6QB.
11. Señor Ceviche, Soho
A fusion restaurant merging the worlds of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine might not be the most obvious choice for drinking the best margaritas in London. But just wait until you’ve tried their Mamacita. The cocktail spices up a classic margarita with the addition of chilli cordial. Spicy, citrusy, and sweet – just the way we like it.
📍 Kingly Court, Carnaby, W1B 5PW. The nearest stations are Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus.
12. El Pastor, various locations
Image: @tacos_el_pastor, via IG
El Pastor took the margarita, a seemingly simple drink, and ran with it. They offer up outrageously conceived, but damningly delicious riffs on the classic ranging from the Avocado & Passionfruit Margarita to the frozen Lagerita which is topped up with Corona. There’s even a Breakfast Margarita which throws Orange Marmalade into the drink. If you’re particular about how you like your margarita, or want them to shake one up with a premium agave spirit, order the Backbar Margarita and they’ll make it just the way you like it. But you have to try some of their wacky concoctions too!
📍 Find your nearest El Pastor here.
13. Yauatcha, City and Soho
Yauatacha Szechuan Margarita isn’t just one of London’s best spicy margaritas, it’s arguably one of London’s best margaritas, full stop! The fiery and numbing punch of Szechuan pepper and chilli is accented by a hint of pineapple and an ‘agave mezcal mist’ for a rollercoaster ride of a drink.
📍 Yauatcha Soho: 15-17 Broadwick Street, Soho, W1F 0DL. Nearest stations are Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus.
📍 Yauatcha City: Broadgate, EC2M 2QS. Nearest station is Liverpool Street.
14. Mezcalito Brompton, South Kensington
This late-night offering in South Kensington is an off-shoot of the Mexican tapas-style restaurant and bar, Mezcalito Chelsea. But the party is much louder, and goes later, here than it does in Chelsea. And they’ve got plenty of drinks to keep the night going at their upstairs cocktail bar. There’s a house margarita, a mezcal margarita, and a picante margarita that’ll all be battling for your attention. One of each, perhaps?
📍 158 Old Brompton Road, SW5 0BA. Nearest station is Gloucester Road.
15. The Mandrake, Fitzrovia
In honour of National Margarita Day, five-star, boutique hotel, The Mandrake, is launching its ‘Margarita Month’ menu. Available from February 22 – March 22, the menu features three special margaritas, each with a carefully crafted taco pairing. The margaritas range from the vanilla- and rose-infused Himalaya to the zesty Sea of Light with cardamom and orange, and the spicy Morita.
📍 20-21 Newman Street, W1T 1PG. The nearest station is Tottenham Court Road.
16. Officina 00, Fitzrovia and Old Street
Image: @officina00, via IG
Do you know what would go well with that delicious bowl of pasta? How about an Italian Margarita?! At Officina 00’s Italian restaurants, they give the classic drink an Italian twist with the addition of Amaretto. You’ll have to try it to understand it!
📍 Officina 00 Fitzrovia, 67 Whitfield Street, W1T 4DE. The nearest station is Goodge Street.
📍 Officina 00 Old Street, 156 Old Street, EC1V 9BW. The nearest station is Old Street.
17. Novikov, Mayfair
This Mayfair hotspot may be well known for its Italian and Asian cuisine, but it also serves up some impressive margaritas! For National Margarita Day Novikov is adding special riffs on the drink to the menu. Be sure to try the Thaona, with the addition of flavours like elderflower and jalapeno, and the Sol Y Fresa, which adds strawberry and buckwheat to the cocktail.
📍 50A Berkeley Street, W1J 8HA. The nearest station is Green Park.
18. Barrio, multiple venues
With one of their bars laying claim to being the biggest tequila bar in the world, where else would you go for affordable and delicious margaritas?
📍 Find your nearest venue here.
So, there you have it; the best margaritas in London. Go forth and libate. (And feel free to invite me too!)