Kwānt | An elegant tropical cocktail bar in Mayfair
Welcome to Kwānt.
No, it’s not a glorious new insult. It’s actually pronounced ‘quaint’. Although there’s absolutely nothing quaint about Kwānt, which is a neat little dash of irony (wait… is that quaint?).
Anyway, it’s just cut the ribbon on Mayfair’s Stratton Street, though technically it isn’t new – the place originally opened a couple of years ago & a couple of streets over, rapidly finding its way onto the World’s 50 Best Bars list. Unfortunately, its sister restaurant went belly-up, and forced it to close. So, what was left was a pretty unique combination: a world-class bar that, through no fault of its own, had no home.
Well, its new home is an absolute beauty. The place is an elegant blend of tropical & colonial styles, with swathes of bamboo and rattan are all overlooked by wooden ceiling fans & window shutters, while the mustard coloured sofas & chess board tables throw in a little bohemian flair for good measure. One thing that hasn’t changed though, are the impeccably tailored staff, who look like they walked straight out of the ’30s wearing neat white dinner jackets.
The menu is the work of one Erik Lorincz, who headed up The American Bar at The Savoy for eight years (and which he took straight to #1 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list), so it’s no surprise that his own solo spot was so well received. It’s a highly creative affair, with an interesting idea in virtually every drink. Their best-selling drink is called the The Green Park Margarita, and it involves tequila, blended avocado, yuzu, and a Danish spirit called ayuuk made from beer malt & smoked chilli. Sounds weird? Tastes great.
Beyond that, you can get everything from The Island With No Name (a carbonated number that brings together rum, banana, and fig leaf) which carries both sweet and savoury notes, to the Thin Man which blends gin with unfiltered sake and champagne in a delightfully refreshing & dangerously boozy combination. Word to the wise though: it’s not cheap, with the average cocktail coming in at £17.
If you fancy something to eat too, there are bar snacks ranging from a few beef tartare crostini with seaweed butter, to a plate of langoustine cannelloni, and a good ol’ fashioned waffle with coconut sorbet. And after 10pm, the cheddar brioche toasties come out.
Although hopefully you don’t find that too quaint.
NOTE: Kwānt is open now, seven days a week, from 4pm-1am. There are no bookings, and there is no website – but you can take at look at their Insta page right here.
Kwānt | 52 Stratton St, W1J 8LN
Like drinking in W1? Take a peek at our guide to the Best Bars in Mayfair