Veronica Di Pietrantonio and Pietro Collina of Fine Drinks Co are to relaunch Markus Thesleff’s Viajante 87 tomorrow, having joined the London bar in leadership roles.
Collina (formerly of Eleven Madison Park and Nomad) has become the Notting Hill venue’s bar director, replacing Panos Kanatsoulis, who left earlier this year, while Di Pietrantonio (previously Dandelyan/Lyaness) becomes the bar’s brand manager.
Under their leadership Viajante, which translates to globetrotter, will sharpen its focus on its Latin American theme, drawing on the pair’s own travels across the region.
Collina (pictured above right) told CLASS: “The bar will be a celebration of Latin America – its ingredients and also its people. But we’re not trying to be an authentic Latin American bar – the drinks will have Latin American flavour profiles but through an elegant, West London lens.”
The pair, who formed consultancy Fine Drinks Co last year, hope the bar becomes a hub to London’s Latin American community, with regular guest shifts from the region’s best bars helping to draw in its audience.
These collaborations will also inform the drinks served at Viajante 87.
Di Pietrantonio (pictured above centre) told CLASS: “The menu will have permanent drinks but it’ll also have an insert - a moving section which will showcase a different region or country each month.
"Bars doing guest shifts will bring ingredients that represent the traditions of where they’re from and we will create the drinks for the insert together. Every month we will have a different spotlight based around our guest shifts.”
Viajante 87 opens tomorrow with a temporary drinks list, though one that includes a handful of cocktails that will appear on the upcoming permanent menu.
Among them is the bar’s take on the classic Paloma (pictured left), with Ocho Blanco, lime bitter grapefruit cordial, High Point Ruby and London Essence Grapefruit soda.
Signatures which will appear now ahead of the permanent menu include: Ya Está (pictured centre), with Tapatio Blanco 110, Nocheluna sotol, lime, celery, apple cordial, elixir vegetal; and Martini Malcriado (pictured right) with Grey Goose vodka, Lillet, Reisetbauer Karotte eaux de vie, brown butter sage mezcal and carrot veil.
Bar food at the venue will continue to come courtesy of Thesleff’s Baha-Nihon restaurant Los Mochis.
Viajante 87 will open five days a week from Tuesday to Saturday, with the bar transitioning to a more “high energy” space with a DJ on weekends.
87 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JZ