Pub & Bar News is sponsored by The Kitchen Porters Club
Opening this April, Brutes of Mayfair brings the spirit of a neighbourhood bar to Mayfair built around martinis, classic cocktails and genuine hospitality. Founded by James Stevenson and Guy Mazuch, it marks their first independent venture together, inspired by Bruton Place’s history as a discreet meeting ground for cultural figures, artists and industry insiders. The result pairs the energy of a local bar with a craft-led approach to drinks.
The martini sits at the centre of the Brutes experience. Drinks are built using a simple martini card, allowing guests to choose base spirit, style and garnish. Serves range from dry, wet, dirty and brutal, finished with indulgent, and generous garnishes such as blue cheese olives, pickled onion Monster Munch, gildas and chicken scratchings. A martini barometer offers guidance based on preference and weather, while the Brutes list features suggested combinations created by friends and regulars of the bar. Limited-edition martini collaborations will introduce collaborations with chefs and restaurants, pairing drinks and snacks designed specifically for the martini menu.
The drinks menu is defined by ever-changing classic and house cocktails made with freshness and immediacy, with an uncompromising focus on raw, seasonal ingredients sourced directly from trusted growers and suppliers. Fresh citrus is squeezed to order, herbs are picked by hand, and every drink is built from scratch. House serves include the ‘Seventh Stall’, combining wasabi leaf vodka, yellow tomato, Brutes hot sauce and mustard seed caviar, or the ‘Perdedor’, which layers London Dry Gin, Fino en Rama, Miyagawa Mandarin, lemon verbena granita and a Nocellara olive.
The back bar favours premium and limited-release spirits intended to be mixed in classics. British beers and a concise, true-to-varietal wine and Champagne list complete the offering. A short selection of plates and snacks, designed to accompany the cocktails, showcases high-quality British and European produce, from a French dip au jus to oversized potato crisps topped with sour cream, chives and N25 Beluga caviar.
The duo, who met at JKS Restaurants, bring together nearly four decades of experience at the forefront of London’s hospitality scene. James has led beverage strategy for more than 25 venues, including eight Michelin-starred restaurants, with senior roles at both Fluid Movement and JKS Restaurants, where he oversaw drinks as Beverage Director. Guy began his career at Ronnie Scott’s before rising to prominence under Tony Conigliaro at The Zetter Townhouse, later joining JKS as Group Beverage Creative, collaborating with Michelin-starred chefs and shaping produce-driven cocktail programmes for concepts including Kitchen Table, Lyles, BAO, Gymkhana and Ambassadors Clubhouse.
‘At Brutes, we set out to create a bar with a real sense of place, something rooted in London and the street it lives on. The bartenders take centre stage, creating a communal atmosphere where guests feel part of something unfolding through drinks, music, and service. It’s the kind of bar we’ve always romanticised, a classic experience brought up to date’
Designed in collaboration with North End Design Studio, the interior combines mid-century modern forms with lived-in British detailing. References are drawn from early twentieth-century tailor shops, classic cocktail bars, British sporting clubs, and influences from the 1960s meeting places of the streets past. The bar sits at the centre of the room, seating twelve and serving as both service counter and point of theatre. A British racing green Yarwood leather banquette and vintage Persian rugs form a small lounge area, with heritage-led materials, chequerboard flooring, bespoke mosaic tiles, nickel, sapele hardwood and wall cladding.
Sound plays a central role. A bespoke system designed by Marquee runs an eclectic mix of Jazz, British hip-hop, soul, funk and grime throughout service, with the space also equipped for DJ-led events and private hire for 35 guests. Staff wear custom jackets developed with Cad & The Dandy of Savile Row, a modern interpretation of the 1960s white bartender jacket, while a small range of lifestyle accessories, from caps to umbrellas and bags, extends the Brutes aesthetic beyond the bar.
Pub & Bar News is sponsored by The Kitchen Porters Club
