El Patron - bar review

Putney's new tequila bar is just what tequila bars should be: good, silly, unpretentious fun
Good honest fun: head down on a Friday or Saturday night for an unpretentious night of drinking and dancing
David Ellis @dvh_ellis20 March 2015

What they say: “A late night tongue-in-cheek Mexican bar and restaurant” that has a playful and vibrant atmosphere which invites those who don’t take themselves too seriously for a night of unpretentious fun.

Fresh: El Patron's cocktails are refreshing and ideal for a long night with friends

What we say:

“Tongue-in-cheek” seems unnecessarily self-deprecating. The bar downstairs at El Patron may not speak in hushed, hallowed tones about tequila, but that doesn’t mean it doesn't serve good cocktails or respectable, fresh and authentic Mexican food. In short, it's a fun place that's not too pricey and fashionable without trying too hard. So get in a round of shots and enjoy yourself - we'd advise going on a Friday night when there's a live band.

Order: Tommy’s Margarita (arette blanco, agave, lime, plenty of ice) may come without salt on the rim of the glass but it’s a good solid drink and house favourite. We’d suggest spicing things up with the Jalapeno and blood orange margarita (solerno blood orange liqueur, lime, candied jalapeño slice) which is crackling with flavour. The cocktails here are sweet without being weighed down with sugar - the Siesta y Fiesta (arette blanco, lime, hibiscus syrup, egg white, peach bitters) is a perfect example of this. Finally, be sure to have the bar staff's top tip of tequila with the traditional chaser of lime and salsa - it certainly beats salt and a wedge of lime.

Dill with it: tasty sharing plates suit the mood of the bar

Good for: The kind of night out with friends when one of you suddenly decides it’s time to dance and none of you can believe it’s midnight already. The music is excellent, but loud - you wouldn’t want to bring a date here.

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By the way: The food here is well worth trying, especially the guacamole. You should also know that you can win your bar tab if you take a selfie with a stick-on moustache (which they provide) and tweet about it. If you’re into it, there are somberos around to have fun with as well.

Find it: 141 Upper Richmond Road, SW15 2TX; elpatronlondon.com

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter @ESGoingOut and David @dvh_ellis

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