Cafe Pacifico
Cafe Pacifico, established in 1982 in Covent Garden, London, is the UK's oldest Mexican restaurant and tequila bar. It serves individual diners, tourists, and private groups from a single venue, and retails agave spirits online across the UK under Laverlathe Limited.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cafe Pacifico does
Cafe Pacifico is London's oldest Mexican restaurant and tequila bar, established in 1982 in Covent Garden by founder Tomas Estes, and operated as a private limited company under Laverlathe Limited (Company Reg. #01406583). The company pioneered authentic Mexican cuisine and tequila culture in the UK and now serves individual diners, tourists, and private groups from a single venue at 5 Langley Street, with 23 employees across restaurant, bar, and back-of-house functions.
The core offering is built around three integrated revenue streams: (1) dine-in restaurant service featuring Mexican cuisine (Main, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Kids, and Dessert menus), (2) a tequila and cocktail bar with an extensive agave spirits selection and award-winning margaritas, and (3) an e-commerce spirits shop shipping 18+ tequila, mezcal, and vodka SKUs across the UK. Supporting services include Lightspeed-powered digital gift cards, online table reservations, and participation in London food and cocktail festivals (Taste of London, Cocktails in the City, Margarita Rumble, Big Feastival).
The business model is direct-to-consumer with traditional restaurant margins on dine-in supplemented by higher-margin spirits retail online. Pricing is unit-based and not publicly disclosed for the menu; spirits retail between £24.50 and £63.95 with free UK shipping over £50. The company holds no external funding and is wholly owned by Laverlathe Limited; the Ocho tequila brand represents a co-developed proprietary product in partnership with third-generation tequilero Carlos Camarena. Marketing relies on Instagram, Facebook, email newsletter, a content blog, Google reviews, and festival appearances rather than paid digital acquisition at scale.
Cafe Pacifico firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cafe Pacifico
- Legal name
- Laverlathe Limited
- Website
- https://cafe-pacifico.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Cafe Pacifico, established in 1982 in Covent Garden, London, is the UK's oldest Mexican restaurant and tequila bar. It serves individual diners, tourists, and private groups from a single venue, and retails agave spirits online across the UK under Laverlathe Limited.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cafe Pacifico industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mexican/Latin QSR (Tacos, Burritos, Bowls) (THAFAAAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cocktail Bars & Lounges (CRANACAD)
Keywords
Where Cafe Pacifico is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cafe Pacifico business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Restaurant Food and Beverage Sales: Traditional dine-in restaurant revenue from Mexican food menu and tequila/cocktail bar. Multiple menu offerings including Main Menu, Drinks Menu, Tequila & Mezcal Menu, Gluten Free Menu, Vegan Menu, Kids Menu, and Desserts.
- Online Spirits Shop: E-commerce storefront selling tequilas, mezcals, vodkas, and merchandise. Offers free shipping on orders over £50 within the UK. Products include brands like Patron, Jose Cuervo, Ocho, Vivir, Bruxo, Curado, Dos Hombres, Crystal Head Vodka.
- Gift Cards: Digital gift card system available for purchase, enabling prepaid restaurant visits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Spirit Pricing |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Eat Out to Help Out Scheme (Historical) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Cafe Pacifico product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cafe Pacifico operates a dine-in Mexican restaurant and agave-focused cocktail bar at 5 Langley Street, Covent Garden, London, serving dishes such as burritos, tacos, nachos, and vegan/gluten-free/kids options alongside award-winning margaritas. It also runs a UK-domestic online spirits shop selling 18+ tequila, mezcal, and vodka SKUs, plus digital gift cards and table reservations. The company trades as Laverlathe Limited and is recognised as London's oldest Mexican restaurant and the first to bring Mexican cuisine to the UK.
Product overview
Cafe Pacifico is London's oldest Mexican restaurant and tequila bar, established in 1982 in Covent Garden. The company operates as both a dine-in restaurant and an e-commerce platform. Its core offerings include authentic Mexican cuisine with dedicated menu categories (Main Menu, Gluten-Free Menu, Vegan Menu, Kids Menu, Desserts Menu), a full cocktail bar with award-winning margaritas and specialty drinks (Drinks Menu), and an extensive agave spirits selection (Tequila & Mezcal Menu). The online spirits shop sells 18+ products including tequilas (Patron, Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Ocho, Vivir, Tapatio, Curado), mezcals (Bruxo series, Dos Hombres), and vodka (Crystal Head). Additional services include gift cards via Lightspeed, table reservations, and participation in food festivals like Taste of London. The company is operated by Laverlathe Limited (Company Reg. #01406583).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- In-Restaurant Dining Authentic Mexican cuisine served in Covent Garden, London, featuring dishes such as chicken burritos, nachos, tacos, fish tacos, and mushroom tacos, plus dedicated gluten-free, vegan, kids, and dessert menus.
- Tequila & Cocktail Bar Bar offering an extensive tequila and mezcal selection (40+ brands) with award-winning cocktails including margaritas (Ocho Paloma Margarita, Patron Margarita, frozen watermelon margarita) and winning entries such as the 2018 Mai Tai Challenge.
- Online Spirits Shop E-commerce platform selling 18+ tequila, mezcal, and vodka products (Patron, Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Ocho, Vivir, Bruxo, Tapatio, Curado, Crystal Head, Dos Hombres, El Tequileno) for UK delivery, with unit prices ranging from approximately £24.50 to £363.95 and free shipping over £50.
- Gift Cards Digital gift cards available for purchase, redeemable for dining and drinks at the Covent Garden location.
- Table Reservations Online table booking system allowing customers to reserve tables in advance at the Covent Garden location, including options for large group bookings (12+ people).
Quantifiable outcome
- Forbes Timeless International Award recognition (2024)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Cafe Pacifico
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cafe Pacifico technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Cafe Pacifico partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ocho Tequila (Carlos Camarena / Tomas Estes)coreOcho (Extra Ordinary Gitano Organic) Tequila was co-created by Carlos Camarena (third generation tequilero) in conjunction with Cafe Pacifico founder Tomas Estes. This partnership represents a unique co-development of a tequila brand specifically for the UK market, with Cafe Pacifico having a proprietary relationship to this product.
- TimeOut LondonminorTimeOut London featured Cafe Pacifico in a write-up about the restaurant's comeback and reopening, highlighting their new popup at Vauxhall and Covent Garden location reopening.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cafe Pacifico competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wahaca: UK-based Mexican restaurant chain founded by Thomasina Miers (Wahaca Group), operating multiple sites across London and other UK cities with a strong tequila/cocktail focus. Directly comparable as a UK Mexican restaurant brand, though larger and multi-site, competing for the same Covent Garden-area Mexican diner.
- Tortilla: UK's largest fast-casual Mexican chain (listed on AIM until 2024), specializing in burritos, tacos, and bowls across dozens of sites. Directly comparable as a UK Mexican food brand, though operating in the fast-casual segment versus Cafe Pacifico's full-service bar-and-restaurant model.
- El Pastor: London Mexican taqueria group with sites in Borough, Soho, and King's Cross, founded by the Hart Brothers and chef Santiago Lastra. Comparable as a premium London Mexican concept with strong agave/cocktail program and similar diner profile.
- Chilango: London-based Mexican burrito chain operating multiple sites across the city. Comparable as a UK Mexican restaurant brand competing for London diners seeking Mexican food, though positioned in a more fast-casual segment than Cafe Pacifico.
- Breddos Tacos: London-based taqueria group with sites in Clerkenwell, Soho, and Hackney, known for an agave-led cocktail and mezcal program. Comparable as a London Mexican concept with a strong tequila/bar identity and similar Covent Garden-adjacent demographic.
- Santo Remedio: Independent London Mexican restaurant with locations in Borough Market and Tooting, founded by chef Natalie Sherlock. Comparable as a premium sit-down Mexican concept with a serious tequila/cocktail offering competing for London's authentic-Mexican diner.
- DF Mexico: London Mexican restaurant group with sites in Shoreditch and King's Cross, offering a full Mexican menu with an extensive tequila and mezcal list. Comparable as a London Mexican restaurant operating a similar bar-and-restaurant model with agave expertise.
- Casa Morita: Independent London Mexican restaurant in Ladbroke Grove with a strong focus on natural wines and agave spirits. Comparable as a premium single-site London Mexican venue with a bar-led identity, though without Cafe Pacifico's 40-year heritage.
Broad incumbents
- Patron Tequila (Casa Patron / Patron Spirits): Global premium tequila brand (Bacardi-owned) whose products are stocked and sold by Cafe Pacifico via the online shop. Comparable as a much larger, established tequila supplier intersecting on the agave spirits and cocktail supply side, though operating in manufacturing rather than on-premise.
- Las Iguanas: UK-wide Latin American restaurant chain (part of the Big Table Group) operating dozens of sites across the UK. Comparable as a broader Latin/Mexican restaurant incumbent competing for the same UK casual dining market, though with a wider Latin America focus rather than pure Mexican.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cafe Pacifico social profiles
Digital presenceCafe Pacifico financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cafe Pacifico leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cafe Pacifico funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cafe Pacifico M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cafe Pacifico
What does Cafe Pacifico do?
Cafe Pacifico operates a dine-in Mexican restaurant and agave-focused cocktail bar at 5 Langley Street, Covent Garden, London, serving dishes such as burritos, tacos, nachos, and vegan/gluten-free/kids options alongside award-winning margaritas. It also runs a UK-domestic online spirits shop selling 18+ tequila, mezcal, and vodka SKUs, plus digital gift cards and table reservations. The company trades as Laverlathe Limited and is recognised as London's oldest Mexican restaurant and the first to bring Mexican cuisine to the UK.
Is Cafe Pacifico a public or private company?
Cafe Pacifico is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cafe Pacifico founded?
Cafe Pacifico was founded in 1982.
Where is Cafe Pacifico based?
Cafe Pacifico is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Cafe Pacifico make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Food and Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are online Spirits Shop and gift Cards.
Who are Cafe Pacifico's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wahaca, Tortilla, El Pastor, Chilango, Breddos Tacos, Santo Remedio, DF Mexico and Casa Morita. Broad incumbents are Patron Tequila (Casa Patron / Patron Spirits) and Las Iguanas.
Does Cafe Pacifico have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cafe Pacifico.
What industry is Cafe Pacifico in?
Cafe Pacifico's product category is Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAAAE, Mexican/Latin QSR (Tacos, Burritos, Bowls), with a secondary code of CRANACAD, Cocktail Bars & Lounges. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.