Caballitos

First things first: the name is pronounced “cha-ba-YEE-tos” and is Spanish for “little horses”.

It's by publican Andy Freeman (The Flour Factory, Varnish on King) and it’s a place where you can dance to Bruce Springsteen and George Benson, drink some great drinks and have a good time. And it is a seriously good time. Bright splashes of colour beautify the walls and bathroom doors. White garden lattices dot the room. The inside of the island bar is stocked with all manner of boozy arcana; its exterior is adorned with a chicken-wire roll-up filled with skulls.

We don’t want to pigeonhole Caballitos as somewhere to let your hair down at, but the pole in the middle of the room probably isn’t there for ornamental or structural purposes. (That this pole is in a part of the venue dubbed the “Chapel of Sin” is also somewhat telling).

While the look of the space is excess all areas, the drinks side of things is a study in less being more. Wine and beer are available, but much of the drinking here revolves around Mexico’s most famous spirit: tequila. Drinks such as The Batanga and The Lagarita are party-starters: the former is a tequila and Coke garnished with lime and salt, while the latter combines a frozen Margarita with Corona beer. If you come with a group, it’ll be hard not to order The Shared Cocktail in a Big Treasure Chest, which is exactly what it sounds like. One huge fruity drink filled with booze.