A magnificent cocktail machine
Jean-Paul Aubin-Parvu talks to Blake Perrow of La Perla Bar & Grill
How did you come to be general manager at La Perla Bar & Grill?
I’ve worked in bars and restaurants for over 25 years. I actually started in Covent Garden, first at The Rock Garden and then TGI Friday. After that I moved around working as a waiter or bartender and using the money to travel the world. I spent 18 months at a fine dining Italian restaurant in Melbourne. I had a wonderful time and then returned to London where I ended up here at La Perla. I started as a bartender, became bar manager and now I’m general manager.
Tell me about La Perla Bar & Grill.
Our full name is La Perla del Pacifico, which means the pearl of Pacifico. That’s because our first place in Covent Garden was Café Pacifico. La Perla opened in 1996. Maiden Lane was much quieter then and didn’t get so much passing trade. I’d say it took us a good year to get a strong foothold. These days we’re just permanently busy, which is great. Some places have a big bar with a small restaurant area or a big restaurant with a small bar, but La Perla is half and half. You could literally split the business down the middle.
Who is Tomas Estes?
He’s the founder. Tomas started the original Café Pacifico in Amsterdam back in 1976. We still have a small interest in it, but we don’t own it anymore. Tomas has been nominated by the Tequila Regulatory Council as Ambassador of Tequila to the European Union.
What is La Perla famous for?
On the drinks side of things I would say we’re famous for tequila and cocktails. People travel from far and wide for our margaritas - we sell thousands of them - and the choice of tequilas is unbelievable. We stock around 120 different tequilas plus a small selection of mezcals.
Tell me an interesting fact about tequila?
Tequila ages five times faster than all other spirits and so a three-year-old tequila will be similar to drinking a 15-year-old rum.
Many English people view tequila as simply a means to an end. Is that fair?
We work hard to educate people about tequila. It should be sipped just like any spirit. How many people do you see doing shots of a good cognac or 15-year-old malt? They just wouldn’t do it. We tend to serve our tequila in snifters rather than shot glasses. I myself like drinking tequila with ice and a splash of water - the same as some people drink whisky. So tequila should definitely be sipped.
Why are there hundreds of names engraved on shields above the bar?
We have a tequila called Cuervo Coleccion 1800. It costs £125 a shot, and the reason for that is its rarity - they only make a tiny amount for the world market. It’s an extra anejo that’s been aged for about five years. It’s absolutely superb and many people compare it to a fine cognac - that one should definitely be sipped. Anyone who buys a shot has their name engraved on a shield behind the bar. One customer spent £1,000 on eight shots. He left us his card saying to phone him if someone beats his record.
Doesn’t La Perla produce its own tequila?
We are the first bar in England to do this. Our tequila is called Ocho and is produced as a collaboration between Tomas Estes and the renowned distillers, the Camarena family. Ocho is the first ever brand to bear a “tequila vintage”, name the field and the area harvested, and because it’s made from blue agave plants harvested from single fields you won’t taste the exact same tequila for another six to 10 years - that’s how long it takes the plants to grow. Our 07 is highly prized by many bartenders and tequila aficionados.
Hasn’t the bar also been awarded the Distinctivo “T”?
Yes. This is an award given by the Tequila Regulatory Council in Mexico to establishments that really promote the culture and quality of tequila. We’ve turned many people around, customers who’ve come in refusing to drink tequila because they’ve had a horrible experience in the past. But that’s probably occurred at the end of a party when there’s been nothing left to drink except for a bottle of cheap, nasty tequila they’ve managed to find. So I persuade the customer to try an aged anejo - they just can’t believe it’s tequila.
How would you rate the food here?
Our food is superb. It’s a mixture of Mexican and Tex Mex. Everyone loves fajitas, they’ve got to be our biggest seller, but we also do fabulous enchiladas. We even do one with mole sauce, a bitter sweet, slightly spicy chocolate sauce that you find in very few Mexican restaurants. I tried it once in Mexico, but it wasn’t to my taste. It’s a bit like Marmite - you either love it or hate it. I wouldn’t say it’s a signature dish, but that’s definitely much more learning towards authentic Mexican food.
Who are your clientele?
Everybody and anybody. We’re a very relaxed, informal bar and we don’t try to attract a certain type of crowd. We welcome old and young, families, all sorts - it really is across the board. I’ve had customers tell me that coming in here feels like walking out of London, because La Perla has such a nice chilled out atmosphere. There’s no pressure. The owner’s motto is “heavy on the bottom, light on top.” This means that everything must be done professionally and to a very high standard - but in a relaxed manner.
La Perla Bar & Grill
28 Maiden Lane
020 7240 7400
www.cafepacifico-laperla.com
Tags: Bar, Cocktails, Covent Garden, La Perla del Pacifico, Tequila, Tomas Estes
