This tequila house attached to live music venue Omeara is modelled on the watering holes of Central and South America. My bar companion, just back from life in rural Mexico, tells me that the cantinas there had three strict rules: ‘no women, no dogs, no uniforms’. Thankfully, things are a little different in SE1, with this cantina a liberal party palace spread across two floors. The lights are down low and there’s a petite, pergola-decked terrace on the first floor.
The look is ‘The Crystal Maze’: Aztec Zone meets trendy London railway arch, a vine-clad island bar the centrepiece. Most punters are in for pre-gig pints and the cocktail list is kept well hidden, but when we find it, it’s filled with tempting Latin flavours including a bold claim to a margarita that is ‘quite possibly the best in London’. It was a pretty solid drink, a touch on the salty side if we’re being hyper-critical. It was the service that was sour, if anything, with our request for cocktails going down like a drowned tequila worm.
Still, I’d rather the frostiness than a happy-clappy themed bar reception with sombreros on show. And deviating from tradition worked wonders for the chargrilled pineapple and sage margarita, a smoky blend with real cojones that cost just £8.50. It seems the rules are made for breaking at this thoroughly modern cantina.