culture exchange: Mexico 

Join us on Tuesday, 16 September, from 6 pm to celebrate the vibrant flavours and spirit of Mexican Independence Day.

Enjoy a four-course menu by acclaimed Chef Fernando Martinez of Mexico City’s Migrante, a restaurant recently recommended in the Michelin Guide. The menu showcases modern Mexican cuisine with bold, local ingredients. Each course is expertly paired with cocktails crafted by Eli Martinez Bello, co-owner of TLECÁN, which is ranked #3 in North America’s 50 Best Bars 2025.

At 9 pm, Eli takes over the bar for a night of world-class drinks and music, bringing the energy and artistry of Mexico City to Notting Hill.

Limited availability – 55 seats.
£85 per person, excluding service charge.

FERNANDO MARTINEZ ZAVALA - CHEF AT MIGRATE, MEXICO CITY

Born in Uruapan, Michoacán, and raised in Mexico City, Fernando Martínez Zavala’s culinary journey is defined by movement, curiosity, and exploration. Without formal training, he honed his skills in Mexico City’s bustling kitchens, mastering French, Mediterranean, and Spanish techniques. Yet it is the rich culinary traditions of Michoacán and Oaxaca that deeply shape his approach, blending heritage with precision and global influences. His fascination with Japanese and broader Asian techniques adds refinement, while his Mexican roots remain at the heart of every dish.

At Migrante, Fernando creates a space where travel, culture, and memory converge. Inspired by his journeys and experiences abroad, the restaurant’s tasting menus weave international techniques with local ingredients, producing dishes that are elegant, deliberate, and evocative. Japanese precision meets the depth of Mexican flavours, while traditional methods-slow-cooking, charring, and moles – are reimagined with contemporary finesse.

For Fernando, cooking is more than flavour – it’s a narrative. Every dish at Migrante communicates, tells stories, and connects diners to the chef’s experiences and Mexico’s rich culinary heritage, delivering a truly immersive gastronomic journey.

ELI MARTINEZ BELLO - THE CO–OWNER OF TLECAN

Eli Martínez Bello has become the first Mexican recipient of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award in North America’s 50 Best Bars 2025. Known for her vibrant personality, striking style, and deep love for Mexico, she sees this peer-voted accolade as both an honour and a responsibility.

For 13 years, Martínez Bello has devoted herself to mixology, culminating in her role at Tlecan, her Mexico City bar inspired by pre-Hispanic design and rooted in local traditions. From serving brand-less agave spirits to using agave thorns as garnish toothpicks, every detail is a conversation starter about Mexico’s heritage.

“Now more than ever, I feel the duty to be the best ambassador for my country and its unique spirits”

SPONSORED BY

The Lost Explorer is a multi-award-winning artisanal mezcal and tequila brand rooted in reverence for the land, people, and cultural legacy of Mexico. Guided by a philosophy of curiosity and conscious exploration, they produce world-class agave spirits that honour time-honoured traditions while embracing sustainability and storytelling.  They craft their spirits using traditional methods and regenerative practices in Oaxaca and Jalisco - offering expressions including Espadín, Tobalá, Salmiana, and their newest Blanco tequila.  Each bottle is an invitation to slow down, reconnect with nature and engage in meaningful rituals.