Cubanista, a new 1920s Latin American-inspired bar, has opened inside South Kensington nightclub B London.
B London co-founder Steve Manktelow visited Cuba in 2001, and was captivated by the country. Now, more than decades on, he has opened a bar hidden inside the West London nightclub that combines his twin passions for rum and classic mixology.
Mantkelow said of Cubanista’s historical aesthetic: “We wanted the concept of Cubanista to be born from a period in history unscathed by politics and have placed the design of the Speakeasy in the late 1920s. We then ‘created’ the Fuentes family who helped us design the space based on their imaginary living room. The Fuentes family was our way of grounding the design and feel of the space and making it as authentic as it could be.”
Cocktails on the list include the ‘Presidente’, a combination of Plantation Rum and Lillet Blanc, described as “just better” than Martinis and Manhattans, and the ‘Montecristo’, which is made from espresso, rum, tobacco and chocolate.
The list itself shares snippets of Mantkelow’s travels in Cuba. For example, for the Daiquiri, the menu reveals: “After a long days fishing this little pick me up, it reminded Guillermo of trips to Liliana’s house which hummed with the smell of rum.”
Alternatively, for the Margarita, which adds a spark of jalapeño to the traditional mix of Tequila, Cointreau and lime, it says: “It seemed that sometimes life was one boat trip away from sanity. That one boat trip had seen the cousins head to Alvarado and load up on tequila and chilli’s which now coloured every trip to their house.”
