The founder of Baja-Nihon restaurant Los Mochis is launching Viajante87 in a basement site at 87 Notting Hill Gate next door to the restaurant.
Led by bar director Panos Kanatsoulis, formerly of Mr Fox Bar and The Clumsies in Athens, it will have a ‘zero waste drinks philosophy, cutting-edge cocktail creations and experimental crafting techniques’.
Waste and off-cuts will be repurposed and recycled within the drinks program, evidenced in drinks such as The Smoked Earth cocktail that is made from lacto-fermented kitchen carrots, sweet potato, red cabbage, beetroot, purple corn among other ingredients.
The bar will focus on 100% agave-based signature cocktails alongside more classic creations. Heading up the agaveria will be Siri Johansson, formerly Bungalow 8, OKKU Dubai and Vivir Tequila, and Paolo Silvestri, who has previously worked at La Petite Maison in London and Dubai as well as Hu Tong.
It will serve bar snacks that take cues from sister restaurant Los Mochis, which will include a trio of crispy rices topped with spicy salmon, guacamole and fresh truffle, and habanero teriyaki duck; a wagyu sando; as well as a chef’s selection of sashimi.
“I feel that west London has been missing something like this, so when the opportunity arose to open a very special cocktail-based hideaway, we leapt at the chance,” says Thesleff.
“It has allowed us a new channel for creativity whilst keeping the vibe high and music key. We’ve taken the elements that we know work and applied them to a diverse cocktail offering focused around our agaveria, opening up the possibilities of what we’re able to do. The way people consume spirits has changed, they want somewhere fun, dark, and sophisticated where they can let loose. This is the perfect antidote.”
The 1,500sq ft space will have a design ‘where Tokyo meets Tulum’ with a hand-carved totem, a 20ft backlit bar of recycled glass, and a feature wall made entirely out of carved cork with art pieces by Mexican artist Oms Rocha.
Los Mochis was founded by Finland-born UAE restaurateur Thesleff in 2021. A second Los Mochis will open at 100 Liverpool Street at Broadgate next year.
