Chris Tanner, co-founder of Dram London, and Edwin Frost, who co-founded Islington's Half Cut and Shoreditch's Oranj, have announced they will open Câv in Bethnal Green on March 1st.
Based under Bethnal Green’s Paradise Row arches – a few doors from the former Sager + Wilde site - the all-day neighbourhood bar will have a focus on classic twists, eau de vie and wine and takes its name from the French for ‘cave’.
Cocktails will see crowd-pleasing favourites with a contemporary twist, with variations on the Clover Club, Cosmo and French 75, while the Picante (Casamigos Blanco tequila with chilli-no-spice, coriander root, mixed spices and Carpano Dry) is expected by Tanner to play a starring role.
While cocktails come in at £12, the bar will also offer a House Martini made from Ramsbury gin or vodka for £7.
The menu is split down by format, with one sip cocktails, signatures and sharers that will position large-format, low-abv bottled cocktails in a role normally performed by table wine.
Designed to sit alongside a kitchen residency programme headed up by Frost, Tanner told CLASS that too often “the worlds of spirits and food don’t meet” and that Câv's offering would look to “reconcile those two worlds”.
Kicking off the residencies will be Tasca, a food and wine concept inspired by the dining cultures of Portugal and Spain, founded by Josh Dallaway and Sinead Murdoch.
Guests can explore dishes such as the Cantabrian Anchovy & Kumquat Gilda, the Jambon Beurre Gilda (a French-inspired twist), and the Cachorrinho, a Porto-originating sandwich elevated with pork and prawns, Ossau Iratty cheese, and Piri-Piri oil.
Tanner, who will remain in his role at Soho whisky spot Dram, said: "I’m super excited to be partnering with Ed to create a food and drink concept which marries bartending excellence with culinary expertise. We want Câv to feel elevated but maintain that approachable East London grit that Bethnal Green does so well.
"We’re super excited to have Tasca on board too as Josh and Sinead’s menu perfectly complements our drinks list for our first chef residency.’’
Frost added: “The great thing about having a space like we do on Paradise Row is that it was almost like a blank canvas for us. We had the freedom to create something unique – our entry level cocktails sit at a price point which is friendly for those looking to explore cocktail culture, while some of our signatures remain at the industry standard.
"The exploration of the senses remains at our core, and with Câv we give guests a chance to indulge in this."
Câv will initially open Wednesday to Sunday, opening on weekends from noon and weekdays from 5pm. Tanner told CLASS, that Câv's current licence sees the bar close at middnight, though an application has been made for a 2am licence.