Asase is a new West African-inspired cocktail bar opening in Shoreditch in autumn 2026.
Award-winning bartender Emanuele ‘Lele’ Mensah, formerly of The Connaught Bar and Lyaness, is behind the concept.
The drinks programme will celebrate Ghanaian and wider West African flavours, including an Egusi Martini made with melon seed oil and distilled chilli oil.
Award-winning bartender Emanuele ‘Lele’ Mensah is behind the intimate new bar celebrating Ghanaian ingredients, stories and drinking culture.
London has no shortage of restaurants championing West African cooking, but the capital’s cocktail scene has been slower to explore the region’s flavours. That is about to change. Asase, a new West African-inspired cocktail bar, is preparing to open in Shoreditch this autumn, bringing Ghanaian ingredients and traditions to one of East London’s busiest nightlife neighbourhoods.
The intimate bar comes from award-winning bartender Emanuele ‘Lele’ Mensah, whose impressive CV includes time behind the bar at two of London’s most celebrated drinking destinations, The Connaught Bar and Lyaness. His new venture will draw upon his Ghanaian heritage, translating familiar ingredients, culinary techniques and cultural references into contemporary cocktails.
The bar’s name offers an early indication of its philosophy. Asase means ‘land’ in Twi, a language widely spoken in Ghana, and references Mensah’s belief that the earth provides a common connection between people, cultures and ingredients.
Mensah said: “Every ingredient, every flavour, every story begins from the same source. No matter where we come from, we are all connected through the land beneath us.”
That sense of community will extend to the way drinks are served. Rather than positioning the bar simply as somewhere to order a cocktail and move on, Asase will feature a shared table designed to encourage conversation between guests.
The drinks themselves will look to West African cuisine for inspiration. One of the first cocktails revealed is the Egusi Martini, a liquid interpretation of the popular West African soup made with ground melon seeds. The cocktail incorporates melon seed oil and distilled chilli oil, accompanied by fresh melon to balance heat with sweetness and richness.
It is an early indication that Asase will not simply add African ingredients to familiar cocktails. Instead, Mensah plans to explore the flavours, textures and techniques associated with West African cooking and reinterpret them through the lens of modern bartending.
The connection to the land will also influence the interiors. The compact 20 to 25-cover space will use clay and other natural materials alongside earthy shades of terracotta and brown. The aim is to create a warm and intimate drinking environment rather than another sprawling Shoreditch cocktail destination.
Speaking about the project, Mensah 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.”
Where: Asase, Shoreditch, London
Contact: @asasebar