INTERIOR architecture and design studio Macaulay Sinclair has revealed the design inspiration behind El Siete – Soho’s new underground bar, located beneath Brewer Street’s Mexican restaurant, El Pastor.
The venue is the first iteration of the new agave-led bar concept by Harts Group, the business behind El Pastor, Barrafina, Quo Vadis and more.
Meaning ‘The Seven’, El Siete’s curated menu features seven best-in-class margaritas, seven original agave-based cocktails and seven exceptional versions of classics, drawing inspiration from drinks served at traditional Mexican cantinas and neighbourhood bars.
The El Siete experience begins with the discreet, ground level entrance, separate from El Pastor. A timeworn staircase leads down to the warm, low-lit, 60-cover basement space below, where guests can continue delving into the spirit of El Pastor long into the night.
Ian Roome, director at Macaulay Sinclair, said: “It’s great to be working alongside the fantastic Harts Group on this exciting project. As with all our projects, our process involved rigorous research to inform the design of El Siete, with our goal to authentically reflect the vibrant culture and history of Mexico City within the space.
“Following a research trip, we were really inspired by its unpolished energy. We also wanted to bring the retro, 1970s influence of the city – where materials such as marble and chrome meet lava stone, the foundational material on which Mexico City was built – to the space. El Siete is all about unlocking the darker, more mischievous nighttime spirit of El Pastor, where guests can settle into the intimate space.”
The heart of the space is the central cocktail bar, featuring a terrazzo top and upholstered lean bar, clad in volcanic lava stone. Inspiration was also taken from the street-level shrines of Mexico City, which appears in neon accents throughout the space.
Ian added: “These lights are not merely decorative but signify a living, active and sometimes ‘underground’ faith that thrives on city street corners.”
Moments of modernist luxury balance out a raw energy, with walls rendered in a textured plaster and finished in a soft ‘Barragán Pink’, inspired by the legendary Mexican architect, Luis Barragán. Chrome detailing features on stools and sign-written mirrors flank the bar, which is surrounded by vintage marble coffee tables and low-slung banquette couches.
An intimate and soft glow draws guests inside using the warm, backlit glass blocks that have been inset into the walls, creating pockets of illumination alongside candlelight.
The evolution of El Pastor
As well as the new energy of the basement bar, El Pastor on the ground floor has also undergone a meticulous design transformation by Macaulay Sinclair.
Ian said: “Alongside El Siete, we will be refining the existing El Pastor design, focusing on the architectural character and materiality already in place, bringing a more considered and unified approach to the design and shaping a stronger, more confident next chapter.”
A pillar of the Soho hospitality scene, the refurbishment references the weathered grandeur of Mexico City cantinas around 1910-1970. The space features Felix Candela-inspired booth seating, referencing the Cosmic Rays pavilion at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Contrasting materiality includes enamelled, timber and marble tabletops as well as a selection of vintage dining chairs and bar stools.
A rich palette of olive green and burnt orange inspired by the historic Cantina El Bosque, alongside bespoke commissioned artwork, envelopes the space in warmth.
New additions include blush-glazed tiling to the existing zinc bar counter, reclaimed upper back bar cabinetry with glazed display cabinets and a heritage porcelain handwashing basin adorned with reclaimed, handmade Mexican tiles.
Crispin Somerville, managing director of El Pastor Group and Quo Vadis, said: “It’s been a joy working with Ian, John and the Macaulay Sinclair family; a privilege to view the world through their prism, to share my experience of Mexico City with them and witness what comes from that dialogue. The conversation has been brilliant – robust, free-flowing and very open. We are thrilled with El Siete and this blossoming partnership.”
El Siete opened on 14 March 2026 following the reopening of El Pastor on 28 January 2026. Both are located at 66-70 Brewer St, Soho, London W1F 9UP.