In Mexico, death gets an invitation to the party. Día de Muertos is a joyful affirmation of life and it unfolds across 1 and 2 November, when the spirits of children return first, followed by those of adults. Families build altars heaped with candles, favourite foods and flowers, and no bloom is more loved than the marigold.
Known as cempasúchil, its name comes from the Nahuatl for “flower of twenty petals,” and legend holds that its vivid colour and scent guide visiting souls home. Alongside it sits calabaza en tacha, a candied pumpkin dessert that is an altar fixture.
Soho’s underground agave bar is raising a glass to this special celebration with three limited-edition cocktails, each priced at £7 and served daily from 2 to 8 November between 5pm and 7pm. Here’s the rundown of what to expect next week:
What’s on the menu for Dia De Los Muertos?
El Siete’s menu is divided into seven margaritas, seven house agave cocktails, seven reworked classics and seven non-alcoholic serves, all inspired by Mexican cantinas and Mexico City cocktail culture. But there’s a rotating menu of three special cocktails every week, and next week, it’s all about celebrating the dead. The new cocktails to try include:
Calabaza en Tacha, El Siete’s take on a pumpkin spice margarita. It marries autumn’s most devoted flavour with a classic frozen margarita, a playful, Mexican-inspired twist that gives the usual November latte some spirited competition. The name borrows from a dessert with a place of honour on the altar: pumpkin candied in piloncillo syrup, with “tacha” referring to the cauldrons it was traditionally cooked in.
El Camino Dorado, or “the golden road”, which brings marigold into the mix. The flower is synonymous with the celebration in Mexico, and families lay trails of marigolds from the street to the altar so their light can lead souls to the offerings waiting inside.
Completing the trio, Flor Eterna, meaning “eternal flower”, puts hibiscus and agave in the spotlight, keeping the bar’s devotion to the plant firmly at the centre of the week.
About El Siete
El Siete opened on 14 March, and its whole concept hangs on its name (as per the structure of the menu!). The drinks were created with Giles Looker and Michael Butt of Soulshakers, the team behind Glastonbury’s San Remo bar. The number is also a nod to history, because El Pastor co-founders Sam Hart and Crispin Somerville ran the Mexico City nightclub El Colmillo in the 1990s, and seven is the sum of the digits in its address, 52 Versalles Street.
Downstairs, the room is low-lit and neon-inflected, with a central horseshoe bar and low-slung banquettes, and the back bar is stocked with around 60 mezcals and tequilas, from raicilla and capón to cacao-laced pechuga. Snacking comes courtesy of the El Pastor kitchen upstairs, in the form of mini tostadas, including a sweet version with caramelised banana, dulce de leche and orange chantilly that we recommended in our March review.
Key details
When: Daily, 2 to 8 November, 5pm to 7pm
Price: £7 per cocktail
Where: El Siete, 66-70 Brewer Street, Soho, London W1F 9UP
Website: www.elsiete.co.uk
Instagram: @bar_el_siete