Amazonico has taken Mayfair by storm with its lush immersive foliage, rainforest and jungle textures, and a superb menu of Latin American cuisine with Asian and Mediterranean inspirations. And recently, they have transformed their downstairs bar to bring us OCTO, Berkely Square’s newest cocktail lounge hidden behind a golden door.
As you’re taken through, behind the kitchen, you might almost assume that the host has made a wrong turn as they guide you. Fret, not, however, as a glowing neon octopus atop the golden-clad stairs assures you that you are indeed in the right place. Step through the hidden golden door and you enter into a magical space adorned with seashells, shimmering textures and a golden octopus hanging from the ceiling – naturally.
OCTO is inspired by the mysterious cenotes (underground water reserves and lakes) found in Latin America. This has led them to create a playful menu with a unique cocktail list and an impressive food menu that is not to be missed. Amazonico’s Head of Bars, Giannis Apostolopoulos, utilizes rare and exotic ingredients to take you on a delicious tropical journey. And the focus goes outside of the glass too, as OCTO’s drinks are served in wonderfully ornate glassware that complements the drinks themselves beautifully. Everything feels luxe and special at OCTO.
The drinks
We started the drinks off with the Palomito, OCTO’s take on the classic Paloma cocktail. The drink uses spicy mango jalapeno agave for a fruity, slightly spicy, twist on the Paloma. With bergamot and grapefruit tonic, it’s a refreshing and easy-going way to start your night, with a nice little kick from the spiced rim.
Next up was the El Tulipan – a personal favourite. Meaning tulip in Spanish, the drink is fittingly served in a delicate and beautiful glass shaped like a tulip and topped with a fresh tulip. It’s beautiful and delicious. El Tulipan works off a gin base, with vibrant fruity notes from its kumquat liquor, camu camu puree, lemon, passion fruit kombucha, and sea flower blossom. It’s incredibly flavourful and a tropical dream. If you close your eyes you almost feel as if you’re in a beach club in some exotic location – although being in OCTO is pretty good too.
Carrying on with our cocktail journey, we were served The Rift which is OCTO’s whiskey based cocktail. The cocktail, a take on a whiskey sour, is served with a fun whiskey-flavoured red lollipop and marks a shift towards the more spirit-forward drinks on the menu. Our final tipple of the night was The Ritual with rum, strong notes of coffee and Brazilian bitters. It certainly had the most theatrics as the drink is first brought to you in something akin to an hourglass, which is flipped by the server as they explain this is to infuse the drink with smoke.
OCTO also offers a vast selection of wine and spirits from around the globe, and they’ll also happily make any classic cocktails if that’s what you’re after. Savour your drinks as you enjoy the beats of the resident DJ’s Andy Faisca, Tony Cortez, and Trys who take to the decks each evening to play you elec-tropical beats with laid-back house and touches of vocal jazz.
The food
Food is served until 11pm, and guests can expect light and fresh dishes as well as some of the favourites from Amazonico itself. Fans of the upstairs restaurant can enjoy popular dishes such as their Lomi Lomi Maki sushi and Langostino Pibil. The quintessential Brazilian cheese bread, pao de queijo, was served on arrival and was a perfect start to the night. The bite-sized cheesy morsels of bread are served warm and are beyond tasty. And we haven’t stopped thinking about them since.
Our standout from OCTO’s food menu was the hamachi yellowtail tuna, with tomatillo salsa and kumquat, which was super fresh and brought all the textures. There’s definitely an (understandable) emphasis on seafood at Amazonico. And this continues downstairs, where all of the dishes on OCTO’s food menu, apart from the pao de queijo, were seafood based so it’s a seafood lover’s dream. The snack-sized arepas are the smallest arepas you ever did see and are stuffed with juicy marinated purple prawns, citrus, and chilli. Definitely don’t miss them!