Little Fires

London's Mexican restaurant scene is showing zero sign of slowing down, and neither is the capital's listening bar scene, for that matter. Now you can get a dose of both at the intimate Oaxacan-inspired hi-fi bar and kitchen, Little Fires. The cosy bar and kitchen comes from the clever team behind Oaxaca's Sabina Sabe (one of the World’s 50 Best Bars) and the menu is as creative and delicious as you'd expect. The drinks menu is rare and unique, with Mezcals you won't easily find elsewhere and cocktails like Corn Coladas and Chimichurri Martinis on the list.

mood intimate Oaxacan-inspired hi-fi bar and kitchen; cosy; DJ spins globally inspired vinyls playing ambient, jazz, cumbia, dub and lo-fi

This two-floored paradise has taken over what was previously Alfie's; so within strolling distance of Shoreditch High Street overground and directly opposite Brick Lane. You’ll find a speakeasy in the basement - think velvet-draped private cubby holes ideal for birthdays, a DJ booth and a dedicated mezcal bar, all within dimly lit, cosy surrounds. At night, it doubles up as a dancefloor too. The oval-shaped bar to the far left was vibrant from the flashes of red and patterned glass panels, but the stars of the show were the incredible array of spirits, including Asunción Mezcal... We loved the glazed emerald green and white tiles, especially around the arches next to our table, housing flickering candles that gave off a seriously romantic aura, paired with contrasting Mexican pottery for an authentic feel. Little Fires is a gem of a find, so prop up the vivid bar space as you taste your way around Mexico. The verdict? Little Fires has all you need for a great night out in London. Not only have they mastered the craft of innovative and downright delicious cocktails but the traditional yet refined cuisine made me think I was genuinely in Mexico for a time.

mood Two-floored paradise with a speakeasy basement featuring velvet-draped private cubby holes, a DJ booth, and a dedicated mezcal bar. Dimly lit, cosy surrounds that double as a dancefloor at night. Vibrant, romantic aura with an electric atmosphere; perfect for sexy yet fun date nights.

London’s Newest Mezcal Bar, Little Fires, Aims to Ignite the City’s Agave Scene—One Vinyl Spin at a Time. It opened to the public on July 25, promising not just mezcal cocktails, but something deeper—more spiritual, more vinyl. It’s a collaboration with Oaxaca’s world-renowned Sabina Sabe, and it’s staking an ambitious claim: the most exclusive agave menu in London. Downstairs, beneath the main 85-cover dining room, you’ll find a full-fledged Hi-Fi listening bar, a warm cocoon of jazz, dub, and lo-fi grooves curated by Mauricio Díaz. It’s a nod to Japan’s 1990s listening bar scene—equal parts cocktail lounge and audiophile temple. Upstairs, the cocktail list leans into agave-forward riffs with a seasonal bent.

mood A Hi-Fi listening bar and audiophile temple; a warm cocoon of jazz, dub, and lo-fi grooves; smoke, sound, and soul in equal measure.

A new mezcal-centric cocktail bar, Little Fires, is set to open this Friday on Bethnal Green Road in Shoreditch, marking the arrival of the capital’s first venue dedicated exclusively to mezcal culture. The two-floor establishment will feature a menu focused on mezcal-based cocktails and Mexican-inspired small plates, alongside a curated music program that includes a hi-fi listening bar. The venue blends mezcal, cuisine, music, and culture in a distinctive, immersive setting. The design aims to evoke the feeling of discovering a hidden corner of Mexico.

mood A vibrant community hub inspired by the rich traditions of Oaxaca, Mexico. The interior showcases original timber floors, textured walls, and handcrafted materials, creating an atmosphere described as bold and soulful, yet rooted in tradition. The basement houses a dedicated mezcal bar and DJ booth.

The city is changing its reputation for having terrible Mexican food, with the expansion of taco joints like CDMX and mezcal bars like Little Fires.

Taking its cues from the bars of Oaxaca, Little Fires is more than just a listening bar, it’s a mezcal bar too. Lined with varnished oak and filled with stylish mid-century furniture, it’s easy to imagine a group of men in the 1950s lounging around smoking pipes but in the present day the smokiness of Little Fires comes from its mezcal cocktails, with the clientele leaning away from the stuffy gentleman’s club and buzzing with the welcoming and cheerful vibe of Shoreditch revellers. It’s a concept where mezcal, food, and craftsmanship all come together.

mood Lined with varnished oak and filled with stylish mid-century furniture; the smokiness comes from its mezcal cocktails, with a welcoming and cheerful vibe of Shoreditch revellers.

Christian Pecoraro, Florian Schulze, and Horacio Sainz, a trio who have experience across hospitality, design, architecture and music, are teaming up to open Mexican bar Little Fires in Shoreditch. The cocktail list, which will feature mezcal, tequila and other agave spirits, is being created in collaboration with the team from Oaxaca bar (also on the World’s 50 Best list) Sabina Sabe. Rodolfo Castellanos, chef-owner of Origen Oaxaca, will be doing the food – think tostadas, elotes and ceviche – and there’ll be a vinyl listening bar downstairs.

mood Mexican bar; there’ll be a vinyl listening bar downstairs.

Little Fires is a bar and tasting kitchen on Bethnal Green Road in Shoreditch, launched by a creative collective drawn from the worlds of hospitality, design and music. Rooted in the flavours and rituals of Oaxaca, it brings agave spirits, open-fire cooking and vinyl culture together under one amber-lit roof. The cocktail list, developed with mezcal bar Sabina Sabe in Oaxaca, showcases bold, imaginative takes on agave classics.

mood Cool, Fun, Glamorous, Lively. A hi-fi listening bar that pulses to sets of ambient, cumbia, jazz and dub; the space moves seamlessly from afternoon glow to after-dark intimacy.

It's all change at East London bar Alfie's, which this summer is being transformed into a little slice of Oaxaca, Little Fires. And rather than just saying it's going to be Mexican-inspired, they've got all the talent to back it up. The collective in charge, Christian Pecoraro, Florian Schulze, and Horacio Sainz, has brought in the team behind one of the world's best bars, Sabina Sabe in Oaxaca, to help create the Little Fires cocktail list. As you might haveSD guessed, that'll feature a lot of mezcal and tequila. If you're really into your mezcal, then the news that they've got a special partnership with Asunción Mezcal should be of interest. They're promising to serve up all kinds of interesting and rare mezcals. It's not just the drinks that have a direct line to Mexico. They've joined forces with chef Rodolfo Castellanos, winner of Top Chef Mexico and chef-owner of Origen Oaxaca. He's come up with a load of Oaxacan-inspired snacks and small plates to go with the drinks. Think tostadas, elotes and ceviche. Set across two floors, the bar will feature a ground floor bar and dining room and then, as is de rigueur in East London nowadays, a downstairs vinyl speakeasy.

mood a little slice of Oaxaca; ground floor bar and dining room; downstairs vinyl speakeasy

Little Fires, a new Mexican-inspired bar and kitchen, will open its doors on 11 July 2025 at 125 Bethnal Green Road in Shoreditch. Set across two floors of a Grade II-listed property near Shoreditch High Street station, the venue marks the debut project from a collective comprising Christian Pecoraro, Florian Schulze, and Horacio Sainz, whose backgrounds span music, design, hospitality, and architecture. The cocktail list at Little Fires has been curated in collaboration with Sabina Sabe, an acclaimed bar in Oaxaca listed among the World’s 50 Best Bars. The focus is on mezcal, tequila, and other agave-based spirits, with drinks defined by clarity and balance, using contemporary twists and modern ingredients. In a UK-first partnership, Little Fires will exclusively showcase a curated collection of rare, artisanal mezcals from Asunción Mezcal, served in both traditional and innovative forms.

mood The 85-cover ground floor bar and dining room incorporates natural materials and soft lighting. Guests will find original timber floors, low-slung leather banquettes, ochre-toned walls, and a marble-topped bar. Below, a basement speakeasy bar will offer an immersive mezcaleria experience, centred around a Hi-Fi vinyl listening setup. Music will be integral to the venue’s identity, with a rotating schedule of DJs and listening events... The programme will focus on ambient, jazz, dub and lo-fi electronic music.

At this east London listening bar, mezcal-fuelled cocktails hit as hard as the basslines. In Bethnal Green, Little Fires pairs vinyl grooves with mezcal margaritas and Oaxacan sharing plates. While most Mexican bars in London are fuelled by tequila, Little Fires is lubricated by the country’s other emblematic spirit: mezcal, tequila’s smokier cousin. The cocktail list leans hard into agave spirits with an approach as creatively innovative as you’d expect from a team behind one of the world’s best bars.

mood Oaxacan soul meets east London edge. A strong listening bar element with a vinyl soundtrack of ambient, jazz and electronic sounds. The ground floor combines natural materials – timber floors, leather banquettes, ochre walls – with a marble bar. The space is designed to feel warm, raw and authentic, small and intimate with textured walls and handcrafted materials.

A new mezcal-focused cocktail bar, Little .Fires, will open its doors this Friday on Bethnal Green Road in Shoreditch. Positioning itself as the capital’s first establishment of its kind, Little Fires will offer a menu centred around mezcal-based drinks and Mexican-inspired small plates, alongside a curated music programme in a two-floor venue that includes a hi-fi listening bar. The trio describe the venue as a meeting point of mezcal, food, music and community, drawing inspiration from the culture and traditions of Oaxaca, Mexico.

mood A two-floor venue that includes a hi-fi listening bar; described as a meeting point of mezcal, food, music and community; features original timber floors, textured walls and handcrafted materials; designed to be bold, soulful, and rooted in tradition; basement level houses a dedicated mezcal bar and DJ booth.

London is having a Mexican moment – and the latest to bring the flavours of the Central American country to the capital is Little Fires in Shoreditch. Here, the focus is on mezcal, with cocktails by Oaxacan bar Sabina Sabe... Sabina Sabe’s cocktail list leans heavily on mezcals sourced from little-known independent producers, and several drinks incorporate ingredients from the kitchen.

mood The bar spans two levels. Upstairs, diners sit at marble-topped tables or a bar backed with green tiles – which has been lowered to give visitors a better view of the cocktail-making process – while arched doorways set into whitewashed walls echo traditional Mexican architecture. Downstairs, a moody listening bar decked out in oranges and reds is intended to “put the focus solely on the music while learning about and tasting new mezcals”.

Oaxaca-led, London-grown. Masa, fire, and seasonal plates built to pair with rare agave. Upstairs, the open kitchen and bar keep things bright; downstairs, the hi-fi lounge and DJ booth tune the room. Oaxaca’s warmth meets East-London edge: food, mezcal, and music in sync.

mood Mezcal Bar, Hi-Fi Lounge & Authentic Oaxacan Kitchen; shaped for listening; Upstairs, the open kitchen and bar keep things bright; downstairs, the hi-fi lounge and DJ booth tune the room. Oaxaca’s warmth meets East-London edge.

Little Fires is a very fitting name, because this place sounds hot. It’s a new mezcal joint set to open on Bethnal Green Road on Friday the 25th, complete with smoky cocktails, Mexican small plates, and its own subterranean listening bar, too. The whole enterprise is the debut venture from the trio behind it (Christian Pecoraro, Florian Schulze, and Horacio Sainz), but they’ve enlisted some serious Mexican firepower to help bring it to life – including the cocktail team behind Sabina Sabe, a much-lauded bar in Oaxaca and regular on the World’s 50 Best Bars list, and Rodolfo Castellanos, winner of Top Chef Mexico and chef-owner of Oaxaca’s Origen. So what to expect? Well it’s going to be a two-floor affair, with a mezcalería up top and a listening bar below. Upstairs it’s all earthy tones, original timber floors, and a palette inspired by agave fields. Downstairs, there’s a cathedraline sound system, a DJ booth, and a dancefloor.

mood A two-floor affair, with a mezcalería up top and a listening bar below. Upstairs it’s all earthy tones, original timber floors, and a palette inspired by agave fields. Downstairs, there’s a cathedraline sound system, a DJ booth, and a dancefloor. Expect a shifting soundscape spanning ambient, jazz, cumbia, dub and lo-fi – all curated by a rotating lineup of DJs.

A new late-night cocktail bar, pledging to have London’s “most exclusive agave menu,” has opened to the public today (Friday 25 July). Little Fires’ drinks list will feature plenty of contemporary riffs on classic agave-based serves. The venue has also secured an exclusive UK partnership with Asunción Mezcal, offering a curated selection of rare, small-batch mezcals served both traditionally and through modern interpretations.

mood Inspired by Japan’s listening bars that rose to prominence in the 90’s, characterised by exceptional audio and a laid-back atmosphere. Set within a Grade II-listed building just off Shoreditch High Street, the venue spans two floors. The 85-cover ground floor bar and dining room will feature timber flooring, ochre-toned walls, and a marble-topped bar, with warm low lighting and natural materials. Downstairs, a Hi-Fi vinyl listening bar will offer a more immersive mezcalería experience, with a late-night licence and a focus on ambient, jazz, dub, and lo-fi electronic sets curated by Mauricio Díaz.