London’s first zero-waste experiential bar opens in Notting Hill
Multi-award winning Markus Thesleff has opened Viajante87, a new, innovative and experiential cocktail bar. The intimate, high-energy hideaway will thread the Baja-Nihon energy of its sister Los Mochis – it says here – through all elements including cocktail, design, and bar bites. So, er, that’s nice.
Cocktail development will be lead by Bar Director Panos Kanatsoulis – who’s got a seriously impressive CV – and he’ll have a dedicated mixology lab sprawling across the basement where they’ll focus on the bar’s zero waste drinks philosophy, alongside cocktail creations.
Agave-based cocktails will be the bar’s signature drinks, under the guidance of Siri Johansson, (formerly Bungalow 8, OKKU Dubai and Vivir Tequila) and Paolo Silvestri (formerly of LPM London & Dubai, Corrigans, Hu Tong). Add Panos’s background and that’s a hell of a drinks-based CV.
The sustainability and zero-waste program means that, wherever possible, waste and off-cuts will be repurposed and recycled within the drinks program. For example, The Smoked Earth cocktail which is made with The Lost Explorer mezcal Espadin, lacto-fermented carrots, sweet potato, red cabbage, beetroot, and purple corn, plus jalapeno, sansho berry pepper, coriander seeds, wasabi distillate, fleur de sel.
The bar is tucked away near Los Mochis, underground, with a pan-Pacific, Tokyo meets Tulum vibe, created by Hamilford Design, featuring a 20ft backlit bar of recycled glass, surrounded by a feature wall made of carved cork and unique art pieces. Thesleff describes it as “somewhere fun, dark, and sophisticated” which seems a very good formula for a bar.
Basement 87 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JZ