Hero Restaurant and Bar is an unexpected burst of colour, playfulness and imagination on the 12th Floor of Trademark Hotel. As the name suggests; there’s a super hero theme that they execute flawlessly. Trademark Hotel itself is more chic, sophisticated and has neutral tones. This is part of the appeal of the spacious rooftop spot that awaits as soon as you exit the lift. Recognized as Nairobi’s leading bar, Hero is this year ranked number 68 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022 annual extension list. This is the second year to be listed.
Our visit and focus to Hero, last September has everything to do with the World’s Best Bars ranking. To be honest; this is a huge deal for not only the establishments but for us as Kenyans. For the last two “party” nights of September Hero was hosting awardwinning bartenders from Mexico Rodrigo Urraca and Eric Van Beek Will. Their bar Handshake Speakeasy is ranked the best bar in Mexico and it is on the top 20 best bars in North America. Before the takeover, Style Nerds had the opportunity to meet Rodrigo and Eric and try out their innovative Latin American handcrafted cocktails.
We watched them in awe and tried some of the drinks which blew our mind taste wise and even with the creative ingredients.
The two-day Hero Bar takeover menu of cocktails were prepared with Ketel One Vodka, Don Julio Blanco and Johnnie Walker Black. For a ticket price of Ksh 4,200 per person, guests enjoyed 3 cocktails including these creations:
- Coco Bongo – Tanqueray Dry Gin, Ketel One, lemongrass, coconut, pandan
- Pina Colada – Bahari Kenyan Rum, pineapple, coconut, vanilla, micro-coriander
- Butter Mushroom Old Fashioned – Bulleit Bourbon, browned butter, walnut maple, and mushroom
- Mexi Thai – Don Julio Blanco, Ketel One, coconut, basil oil, makrut lime, tomato water ● Pome Cuvee – Johnnie Walker Black Label, green apple, Amontillado Sherry, absinthe ● Jasmine – KO Kenyan Gin, jasmine tea, whey, soda
Handshake Speakeasy which opened in 2021 has already earned global accolades and brings world class innovation in the art of mixology inspired by a minimalistic agenda with Latin American flavors.
The Handshake duo has created their own style to handcraft cocktails using techniques such as fat washing, carbonation, milk punching and distillation. They have set up a sustainable program in partnership with local producers & providers for the award winning cocktails based on three pillars; flavor, aesthetics and innovation.
Pandan, lemon grass, micro-corainder, mushroom, and so on. Read or had a glimpse at those ingredients? Cocktails redefined is what comes to mind and we are hear to remind you to go bigger and better and reward your tastebuds with some luxury the next time you plan to go for some cocktails.
Hero’s cocktails are certainly going to get even better. The bar already boasts some amazing Kenyan bartenders who have won global awards. Kelvin Thairu and d Francis Ndung’u are the 2021 and 2022 Diageo World Class Bartenders winners. Richie Barrow, General Manager Food and Beverage for Tribe Hotels Group said, “We’re excited for the exchange in skills and knowledge; having global talent behind our bar only helps to further build and strengthen the cocktail industry in the country and the region as a whole. Our team learns invaluable skills and knowledge from such events that will help them challenge themselves and rise to their own full potential.”
The Tribe Hotels Group features three restaurants; Hero and Harvest at Trademark Hotel; and Jiko, at Tribe Hotel, serving African-inspired cuisine. The group’s restaurants use farm fresh ingredients, paired together to take guests on an exciting culinary journey and are placed amongst the top-10 restaurants in Nairobi on TripAdvisor.com.
