Introduction
On London’s Old Street, in the vibrant heart of Shoreditch, a glass-fronted space draws in the curious — open, bright, and deceptively simple. But behind this minimalistic facade lies one of the world’s most forward-thinking cocktail experiences: Tayēr + Elementary. In just a few short years, this unique dual-concept bar has earned a place among the world’s most celebrated venues, redefining what modern mixology and hospitality can be. The brainchild of two of the industry’s most respected innovators — Monica Berg (Norway) and Alex Kratena (Czech Republic) — Tayēr + Elementary opened its doors in 2019. Both Berg and Kratena arrived at this project already carrying significant weight in the global cocktail scene: Kratena had led London’s Artesian to multiple years as The World’s Best Bar, while Berg was widely recognized for her work in Oslo and her thought leadership in spirits advocacy and sustainability. Elementary, the first space guests encounter, reflects the bar’s commitment to accessibility and casual excellence. Open all day, it offers bright, inviting counter seating, simple but elegant glassware, and a short, rotating menu of seasonal highball-style drinks that showcase sophisticated flavors in an approachable, everyday format. Drinks like the "Vetiver Negroni" or "One Sip Martini" demonstrate that world-class technique doesn’t have to feel intimidating — quality here is democratized. Beyond Elementary lies Tayēr — the experimental core of the operation. The space is dominated by a large, open central island where bartenders work in full view, dissolving the boundaries between guests and staff. The design reflects a laboratory ethos: ingredients meticulously prepared in advance, precision batching, and a level of mise en place that rivals fine dining kitchens. Here, cocktails aren’t made from a static menu but from an evolving rotation of seasonal ingredients and flavors, often written up on a simple chalkboard. Tayēr’s approach to cocktails is ingredient-driven and deeply collaborative. Berg and Kratena have built a system where technique supports the ingredient, not the other way around. Clarification, fat-washing, fermentation, and alternative preservation methods are deployed behind the scenes, but the guest experience remains tactile and pure. Every sip feels direct, fresh, and immediate — the result of months of experimentation hidden beneath effortless simplicity. Sustainability and transparency form another core pillar of Tayēr + Elementary’s philosophy. Ingredients are sourced thoughtfully, waste is minimized through circular kitchen practices, and the bar team constantly experiments with ways to extend shelf life without compromising freshness. This sustainable mindset is not preached, but practiced — built into the DNA of operations. Berg and Kratena have also become outspoken leaders in reshaping industry norms. Both have contributed to broader industry initiatives — such as P(our), the bartenders' collective dedicated to education, sustainability, and mental health — demonstrating a holistic vision of what the modern bar world should strive toward. For them, Tayēr + Elementary is not just a business; it’s a living model of what hospitality can achieve when creativity, ethics, and care coexist. Their approach has earned global acclaim. Tayēr + Elementary has consistently placed among the top rankings of The World’s 50 Best Bars, and both founders have become some of the most sought-after voices in international bar culture. Yet despite the accolades, the venue remains welcoming and unpretentious — a bar for locals, tourists, and industry professionals alike. In many ways, Tayēr + Elementary represents the cutting edge of the global cocktail renaissance: a place where science and art blend seamlessly; where boundaries between kitchen and bar dissolve; where technique supports — but never overwhelms — hospitality. For visitors lucky enough to experience it, Tayēr + Elementary offers more than world-class cocktails. It offers a glimpse into the future of hospitality itself: open, inclusive, precise, and relentlessly creative. In doing so, it reminds us that innovation is not always about complexity — sometimes, it’s about returning to the fundamentals: quality, care, and a shared human experience, one perfectly balanced drink at a time.
