Our Review Of Downstairs At Sucre In Soho: Tequila And Mezcal Heaven

As soon as I receive a cocktail menu, I scan it frantically to find drinks featuring tequila or mezcal. My love for the Mexican spirit is no secret - I’ve recently discovered that I share the same fondness for a mezcal margarita as Derren Brown who, on the Off Menu podcast, claimed that he could drink a lot of them without getting hungover. A couple of episodes down the line, renowned Michelin star chef Santiago Lastra said the same thing, resulting in me collecting justification for the next time I had four margaritas on a Monday while drawing parallels I never thought I would. 

It would come as no surprise then that, as soon as I walked past Downstairs at Sucre, tucked away underneath the Latin American restaurant Sucre on the corner of Soho's Carnaby Street, I knew I had to go. The subterranean spot specialises in tequila and mezcal, harnessing the energy of Central and South America to create an innovative menu that, while focused heavily on the spirits, was not entirely exclusive to them.

Nibbles heaven: the small plates complemented the drinks well at Downstairs at Sucre.

DesignMyNight Reviews Downstairs At Sucre In Soho

My friend and I visited on a Friday night and arrived just when the lights began to dim and the DJ took to the decks. Around us were exposed brick walls, mustard yellow and white checkerboard flooring and illuminated photographs of hot and sunny landscapes worlds apart from London's first bit of warmth in six months. I enjoyed the openness of the space, it didn’t feel too stuffy and retained an air of the restaurant above, which worked in harmony with the bar’s food menu made up of small and large plates.

I began with the El Figaro (£16), made up of fig-infused Olmeca tequila, Grand Marnier, homemade syrup and lemon juice, which was a gorgeous sunshine yellow colour, served in a dainty gimlet with a flower on top. Smooth to taste, it went down a treat, with a subtle earthiness from the fig, finished with a tang of citrus. I liked the body it had too, thanks to its foamy top. My friend’s Florals (£16) was a step away from the tequila (it featured Dewar’s 12yo whisky, St Germain elderflower liqueur and prosecco), but was equally as tasty, although this time lighter, more herbaceous and sweetened with honey.

El Figaro (the drink on the left pictured) was so good, we ordered two. 

Mezcal was my next point of call and El Viajero (£16) was just the drink to satisfy my cravings. It was a lot sweeter than I was expecting, thanks to the addition of Hennessy VS, and had a little richness to it too, which was countered by the fruitiness of spicy pineapple syrup. My friend also enjoyed a sweet drink called Lagrimas De Oro (£16). This one contained banana liqueur (a brilliant invention) alongside salted caramel and was dessert-like without the creaminess of an after-dinner drink.

For her third drink, she opted for my first, El Figaro, as I'd assured her she’d like it, whereas I chose our waiter's favourite drink (he seemed very pleased I’d finally picked it - his reaction was far more animated than my first two choices). La Brisa (£16) was a sublime smokey and tropical drink that was a vibrant red and contained Pensador mezcal, khoosh bitters, passion fruit puree, grenadine and lime juice. The mezcal really cut through the orange from the bitters and it felt needed after two very sugary drinks back to back.

As well as seating at the bar (pictured), there were cosy sofas and high table stools available too.

Of course, no three-drink run is complete without a selection of snacks for stamina. We devoured generously-filled aged mature cheddar and beef and chilli empanadas (£8.50 each), as well as sea bream carpaccio (£18) with English strawberry and blood orange which acted as a refreshing palate cleanser. My favourite was the asparagus and morels with egg yolk (£22). This was decadent and I got a lot of umami from it; my only wish was that there was more. These dishes left us excited about what Sucre was doing upstairs and I would certainly return, perhaps for dinner first before heading downstairs for a cocktail or two.

Overall: Downstairs At Sucre

Downstairs at Sucre is a fun drinking spot for tequila and mezcal enthusiasts. Each drink is priced fairly given its peak Soho location (all are £16 each) and I would consider each one inventive and playful. It was easy to spend the entire evening there without having to venture for food, which made a change. Walking home, I passed people who were, like me only weeks ago, sharing burgers with their boyfriends while I had a stomach full of empanadas and mezcal - a state of being that was appreciated at the time.

Tequila fiend? Check out our guide to margaritas in London.