Hacha Dalston

The bar that made the Mirror Margarita — rated the 7th best cocktail on the planet — operates from a minimalist Dalston space on Kingsland Road where 25 rotating agave spirits and a handful of bar stools have earned more awards than most London venues manage in a decade.

Hacha opened in 2019 as London's first agaveria, built by Deano Moncrieffe and Emma Murphy around a single conviction: that tequila and mezcal deserve the same reverence as single malt whisky or natural wine. The result is a bar that's won UK Specialist Bar of the Year twice, landed on the World's 50 Best Discovery list, and attracted a following that treats a Tuesday night visit like a pilgrimage.

Dalston's Quietest Powerhouse

Walk past the understated frontage on Kingsland Road and you could almost miss it. Inside, pale wood, soft lighting, and a compact room that seats and stands roughly 40 people. There's no neon signage, no elaborate décor, no Instagram wall. Hacha's design philosophy is the same as its drinks philosophy — strip away everything that doesn't matter and do the core thing brilliantly.

That restraint is what makes the space feel special when you hire it. There's an intimacy to drinking here that larger bars can't manufacture. The bartender is close enough to talk you through what you're tasting, and the room is small enough that the whole group shares the experience rather than fragmenting into corners.

Agave and Everything Around It

The 25 rotating agave spirits behind the bar cover a spectrum most drinkers haven't encountered — from well-known reposados and añejos to obscure mezcal producers and emerging agave categories. Cocktails are precise and inventive, built on this specialist knowledge rather than defaulting to familiar formulas.

Food comes via Tigre Tacos, a partnership that pairs street-style tacos with the agave-forward menu. It's the right match: casual, bold flavours that complement rather than compete with the drinks.

An Event Hire for People Who Care About Drinks

Hacha's scale means it suits a specific kind of event — the kind where what's in the glass is the point. Brand activations for spirits and food companies. Celebration drinks for someone who'd rather have mezcal than champagne. Team socials where the venue itself becomes the talking point. At around 40 guests, it's not for large gatherings, but for groups that fit, it's an experience most London bars simply can't deliver. Haggerston Overground station is a short walk south on Kingsland Road.