Emanuele ‘Lele’ Mensah, winner of World Class GB 2025 and former Connaught Bar and Lyaness bartender, is to open his debut bar: Asase.
Founded in partnership with Italian design creative and former bar manager, Marco Trapani, with whom Mensah already shares the consultancy Liquid Nation, the West African inspired bar is set to open in Shoreditch, London, in late summer 2026.
Asase takes its name from the word “land” in Twi, a Ghanaian language, and is inspired by the belief, according to Mensah, that “the earth is what connects us”.
“Every ingredient, every flavour, every story begins from the same source,” he said. “No matter where we come from, we are all connected through the land beneath us.”
Through this lens, Asase aims to showcase West African ingredients, techniques, and storytelling.
The duo now have the keys to their compact, 20-25-cover site in Shoreditch and are about to begin work on its transformation.
The décor will take its form from the use of natural materials, including clay, and soft shapes, with earthy, neutral tones such as terracotta and brown combining to create what Mensah says will feel “intimate”, “calm and warm”.
The cocktails, served on an imposing shared table to encourage connection and conversation, will continue the theme. “A lot of the inspiration comes from West African ingredients, but we approach them with curiosity and techniques to bring something new out of them,” Mensah said.
One such drink is the Egusi Martini. “It’s inspired by egusi soup, which isn’t something people would normally expect in a cocktail,” said Mensah. It sees melon seed oil contributing texture and depth and is served with distilled chilli oil, with fresh melon on the side “creating a contrast between heat, freshness, and richness. It looks simple, but there’s a lot going on underneath,” said Mensah.
He added: “Asase is the next step for us. It’s something we’ve been building towards for a long time, so it feels like a natural progression of our careers.
“We want to build a place where people feel comfortable and welcomed. I don’t want them to come back just for the drinks (which, of course, it’s great if they do) but also for how we make them feel.
“Secondly we want to highlight West African ingredients and give them more visibility. Let people know and love them.”