New London bar Brutes offers Martini barometer
Brutes of Mayfair will open in London next month (April), with guests offered Martini guidance based on preference and the weather.
The venue is the first independent venture from James Stevenson and Guy Mazuch, following a period working together for JKS Restaurants, Stevenson as beverage director and Mazuch as group beverage creative.
Both have spent decades creating cocktail programmes for Michelin-starred restaurants and other dining hotspots, such as Kitchen Table, Lyle’s, Bao, Gymkhana and Ambassadors Clubhouse.
Located in Bruton Place, Brutes aims to bring the spirit of a neighbourhood bar to Mayfair, with the programme based around Martinis and other classic cocktails.
Drinks are built using a Martini card that allows guests to choose their base spirit, style and garnish. Serves range from dry, wet, dirty and ‘brutal’, with garnishes including blue cheese olives, pickled onion Monster Munch, gilda and chicken scratchings.
The Martini barometer offers guidance based on preference and weather, while the Brutes list will feature combinations created by friends and regulars of the bar.
The bar will also collaborate with chefs and restaurants for limited-time creations.
Outside of Martinis, the cocktail menu offers a range of classic and house options, with a focus on raw, seasonal ingredients from ‘trusted’ suppliers. Every cocktail is built from scratch with no batching.
House cocktails include the Seventh Stall, which blends wasabi leaf vodka, yellow tomato, Brutes hot sauce and mustard seed caviar, and the Perdedor, made with London Dry gin, fino en rama Sherry, Miyagawa mandarin, lemon verbena granita and a Nocellara olive.
Beyond the Martini
The back bar is stocked with premium and limited edition spirits intended to be mixed in classic cocktails. Brutes will also offer a range of British beers, true-to-varietal wines and Champagne.
The food offering comprises a selection of small plates that showcase high-quality produce from Britain and Europe, such as French dip au jus to crisps with sour cream, chives and caviar.
“At Brutes, we set out to create a bar with a real sense of place, something rooted in London and the street it lives on,” the co-founders said in a statement. “The bartenders take centre stage, creating a communal atmosphere where guests feel part of something unfolding through drinks, music, and service. It’s the kind of bar we’ve always romanticised, a classic experience brought up to date.”
North End Design Studio is behind the interiors, which have a mid-century influence with ‘lived-in’ British detailing. References are taken from early 20th-century tailor shops, classic cocktail bars and British sporting clubs.
The bar sits at the centre of the room, seating 12. This is supported by a lounge area featuring a racing green Yarwood leather banquette and vintage Persian rugs.
Brutes has a bespoke sound system designed by Marquee, with the space equipped for DJ-led events.
The staff uniform was custom-designed by Cad & The Dandy of Savile Row, featuring a modern interpretation of the 1960s white bartender jacket.
A small range of lifestyle accessories, from caps to umbrellas and bags, is available to purchase.
For more bar openings, check out our roundup of winter’s best.
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