Agave Hour at Downstairs at Sucre: Three cocktails to try if you're a tequila lover

If you haven’t yet noticed, we’re a little bit obsessed with tequila. And mezcal. And anything that means we can have a banging margarita, basically. So when we hear there is a bar which is serving up all things agave, we have to head down and check it out.

It also just so happens to be the cocktail bar beneath the zeitgeisty Sucre restaurant - an Argentine concept, featured in that little-known Michelin Guide. If Michelin-worthy food and fine (ish) dining feel a bit intimidating, then heading downstairs and immersing yourself in some elevated cocktail vibes may be up your street.

Where is it?

We’re back in central with this one. Downstairs at Sucre (formerly known as Alma Bar) is located on Great Marlborough St, just down the road from Liberty and Oxford St.

Although it’s in the heart of Soho, the smoky interiors, warm, cavern-like space make you feel like you could be a thousand miles away, in a European or Southern American capital city.

What's special

I mean, any restaurant that is a Michelin fave is going to be pretty special. However, what we went to check out was its new Agave Hour - imagine a happy hour, but with a little more oomph. Every Wednesday to Friday from 5-8pm, they run a small (but great) cocktail menu for £8 each.

What's new?

As you can imagine, all the cocktails available on the Agave Hour have either a tequila or mezcal base. But unlike most happy hours, where you have a small selection of lower-quality watered-down offerings that vaguely remind you of the ghost of mojitos past, these are actually all really interesting and seriously good. We’ll get into the details of what we had further down, but the main headline is that they’re all a solid choice.

Who should you bring?

It’s a great spot for a drink if you’re in the city, doing an itinerary-packed day. Or if you're heading to a show and need some pre-theatre sustenance. Most of the tables are for two-to-four people, so it’s probably not a big group kind of place, although you can turn the entire space into a private dining experience. Being a more underground bar, it has a more intimate atmosphere but is still colleague-friendly (provided it wasn’t one-on-one). Ideal for groups of friends or even if you’re meeting up with siblings and arguing over who's going to pay.

What should you wear?

It’s a classic post-work garms will do (if you work in a smart-casual office). You probably wouldn't want to come in shorts and a t-shirt or any very casual clothing. Apart from that, it’s pretty chilled - the founding father of going out (jeans and a nice t-shirt) will serve you well here. You don't need a ball gown to enter, but keeping it on the smarter side of everyday will serve you well.

What are the prices like?

It’s not one of your cheap London spots - but no one’s going here in search of a major bargain. Then again, their Agave Hour is a bit of a steal at £8 per cocktail, especially given the quality.

In terms of food, you’re looking at £22-£45 for a main (the lower end being the vegetarian options, and the highest being the meatiest). If you’re wanting a couple of small starters, it’s still going to cost you between £9-20, depending on what you get. But to give you an idea, the Padron Peppers are £9, and a small tomato plate is £12, so it’s definitely one to choose to go to rather than end up at.

What's available?

It's worth noting that you can enjoy the same menu as upstairs at Sucre at the downstairs bar. Also, they do a margarita of the month, which we would like to formally implement in all bars.

The must-haves

The must-haves have to come from their drinks menu; off the agave hour, our top favourites were La Noche - a grapefruit and blackcurrant mezcal cocktail, and the Fuma - another mezcal-based cocktail with passionfruit and bitters. Also on our hit list is the Spicy Pichon, which was basically like if a spicy margarita cosplayed as a Paloma, delicious.

The main dishes are all quite minimalist with a focus on high-quality produce (you can literally track where the meat and fish have come from at the end of the menu) and the way the ingredients have been cooked. The fish dishes were the standout for us, particularly the seabass, which feels like it’s been blessed by Poseidon and served up alongside some tasty veg.

What to skip

Personally, we wouldn’t bring any vegetarian or vegan guests here as the options are limited and the offerings that they do have don’t quite hit the spot, especially given the price.

Whilst the food is high quality, it’s the drinks we were mainly there for. If you’re a foodie and very into your meat and fish, this is a great spot for you to get excited about, but if you’re looking for an accessible something-for-everyone kind of restaurant, then we’d probably just stick to drinks here. Also, if you’re not a tequila or mezcal drinker, then this might not be as special an experience for you.

The verdict

Downstairs at Sucre is definitely an exciting spot which consistently serves high-quality dishes. If there were a word for a foodie that was exclusive to cocktails (drinkie doesn’t quite sound right), then we’d use it here, too. Sometimes you can get a bit bored with your usual order without wanting to change it up too much. If this sounds familiar, then Downstairs at Sucre might just be your solution. The dishes are rooted in South American culture and flavours, but with a menu big enough to transport you everywhere, bringing in foodie influences from Asia to Europe. If you’re wanting a proper transcendental culinary experience, then head upstairs to the main Sucre for a right feast.

For us, the bar is a perfect example of how to elevate the classics - the Agave Hour menu, in particular, is a great way to dip your toes into the world of mezcal mixology and discover something new. Out of all the places we’ve tried, we’re not sure you can get better cocktails in Soho for that good a price.

• One of London’s largest beer gardens has just been named the best in the whole city