Named after Cato Alexander, widely considered to be the world’s first celebrity bartender, Cato is a Covent Garden cocktail bar that combines cutting-edge mixology with a deep respect for the innovations of the past.
Alexander was a freed slave in 19th-century New York who ran his own Harlem bar for 30 years and won a reputation for mint-heavy drinks. His 21st-century London equivalent might be award-winning bartender Angelos Bafas (formerly of the excellent Nipperkin), who has opened Cato with hospitality group Bart & Taylor, founded by Aistė Bart and Andy Taylor. Bafas’ stripped-back approach melds a slick Stateside attitude with London creativity, with every spirit and ingredient sourced exclusively from the UK.
Wallpaper* reviews Cato, London
The mood: A tale of two bars
The two floors offer distinct moods. Upstairs, The House of Julep channels the warmth of a classic New York tavern: ridged dark-walnut panelling, a custom-aged zinc bar top, and soft residential lighting from Pooky. Irish-inspired bar stools sit alongside oversized American-style black leather seats from Colt Furniture, creating a room designed for drop-ins and long stays alike. ‘The intention was to create a space that feels timeless rather than trend-led,’ says Taylor, who designed the interiors. ‘Somewhere guests instinctively relax into.’
Downstairs is more intimate. Custom sapele-veneered panelling wraps the walls, industrial lighting from Industville provides contrast, and velvet booth sofas – custom-made in Bart’s home country of Lithuania – add a personal touch. British artist Noj Barker’s dot paintings line both floors, his synesthesia-like approach to colour mirroring the concept behind the drinks menu.
The menu: drink the rainbow
The headline is Bafas’ basement cocktail menu, Colour Has Flavour, in which 14 drinks are arranged across seven hues, each named after two defining ingredients. ‘Brown’ pairs medlar with mushroom via Scotch whiskies and smoked Cornish tea; ‘Green’ layers pea-pod vodka and south Devon jalapeño liqueur. The approach is minimal on the surface but complex beneath, with every ingredient a celebration of UK terroir from coastal seaweed to hedgerow foraging.
Upstairs, The House of Julep centres on the drink that made Cato Alexander famous, served in frosted metal cups with mint grown on site through an in-house growing system – part of the bar’s ambition to become fully self-sufficient for herbs and fruits, sourcing only when needed from urban allotments and family-run farms.
The food follows the same ethos. Cobble Lane cured meats come from under four miles away in north London, while cheeses from Neal’s Yard Dairy – a few minutes’ walk from the bar – tie the menu to its neighbourhood. Elsewhere, fried oysters with mint and chilli mignonette nod to the original Cato’s Tavern. But the most welcome idea imported from New York? Last orders at 1am.
Cato is located at 17 Mercer St, London WC2H 9QJ, United Kingdom