Casa do Frango founders launch Cuban bar

MJMK, the operator behind Casa do Frango and Vinegar Yard, has announced the upcoming launch of its newest venture, Bar La Rampa.

The bar concept is designed to celebrate the heritage and culture of 1950s Havana in the heart of central London.

Opening in Oxford Circus on 16 August, Bar La Rampa will offer reimagined Cuban cuisine, with a menu developed by Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng of TĀTĀ Eatery, and a cocktails offering curated by mixologist and bartender Marcis Dzelzainis (pictured above). 

“I lived in Cuba until I was six years old, and my father spent the majority of his life in Havana, meaning I travelled there often throughout my life," says MJMK co-founder Jake Kasumov. "I’ve always been enamoured with Cuba’s cultural heritage, but find it has often been misrepresented through cultural appropriation abroad. Marco [Mendes, co-founder] and I are passionate about bringing Havana’s beautiful history to life in a way that celebrates the country’s authentic food, drinks and design.”

Food and drink

Named after Calle 23, one of the best known streets of Havana’s Vedado region, La Rampa will be a celebration of Cuba’s long-standing traditions of food, rum and live music. The menu will feature small plates that take influence from both Cuba and the wider Central American region. Signature dishes will include twists on classics, such as a cubano sandwich – served at La Rampa with pork belly, ham, and raclette cheese; foot-long pork chicharrones; and picadillo empanadas. 

The drinks list will be largely cocktail-led and will look to emphasise the versatility and flavour profiles of rum, a drink central to Cuba’s national identity. Dzelzainis, previously of Sager + Wilde, 69 Colebrooke Row and Dandelyan, previously won the Havana Club International Cocktail Grand Prix competition. 

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