Mexico City Welcomes Outline, a New Draft Cocktail Bar by a Trio of Award-Winning Bartenders

When Mexico City’s newest cocktail bar and restaurant, Outline, opened at the end of September, it was the culmination of months worth of preparation between some of the best in the business. But just a year ago, the future was much more opaque. 

Restaurateur Walter Meyenberg is well known in Mexico City as the man behind some of the most celebrated bars and eateries in town, including Hanky Panky and Brujas, both of which regularly rank at the much-lauded World’s 50 Best Bars list each year. But when thinking about his next move, Meyenberg knew he wanted to work with Maura and Alex Lawrence Milia — the husband-and-wife duo who have themselves helmed some of the most notable bars in the world. Alex is the managing director and co-owner of the Mr Lyan group, which includes Silver Lyan in Washington D.C., Super Lyan in Amsterdam, and Lyaness in London; while Maura has spent the past ten years at the two-time World’s Best Bar, The Connaught. 

“Alex is a legend in the industry; he’s a genius. And Maura is the master of hospitality,” Meyenberg said. “But it wasn’t just their skills that made me want to work with them. We share a connection and vision that just works really well together.” 

But this time last year, the couple were both still living in London, thinking about their own next steps there, with a move to Mexico City not even a real thought. “Maura and I had been talking a lot about maybe doing something together in London,” Alex said. “But doing anything in London is impossible.”

After a few conversations with Meyenberg and seeing firsthand what he’s done with his spaces in Mexico City — between the food and beverage offerings and the layout and design of his spaces — both Maura and Alex knew that working with him was a great next step.

Both had been to Mexico City before, Maura having participated in a pop-up at Meyenberg’s Brujas, a female-led bar in the upscale Roma Norte neighborhood, and Alex on a number of occasions for both personal travel and work. By February 2023, the pair headed to the city, which is some 5,548 miles from London, to celebrate their honeymoon and host another pop-up with Meyenberg. That’s when the real groundwork was laid.

“Walter called me a few months later and was basically like, ‘Are you coming?’” Alex says. “I was in my flat in London, and I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ I put the phone down and called Maura and was like, ‘I think we’re moving to Mexico.’”

Once the call was made, Alex and Maura made their way to Mexico City for good to start building out three different concepts under the new bar group with Meyenberg, aptly called MWA. Their first concept, Outline, opened in Roma Norte in late September and specializes in draft cocktails and small bites, with the capacity to accommodate 150 guests. The menu features diner-style dishes from both the United States and Mexico, like tacos, hotdogs, and burgers. And they partnered with Mexican streetwear designer Tony Delfino on everything, from the menu design to the staff uniforms, to give the space a distinct look and feel. 

When ideating the concept, the team was adamant about creating a unique space that belonged. Their expertise lies in quality cocktails utilizing new techniques, so they wanted to bring something different to the scene. All 30 of their innovative drinks — such as the Tomato Highball, Clear Colada, and Turin Vegetables — are pre-batched and offered on draft from specially made containers, making them ready to serve. 

Their second concept, Café Arixi, is an all-day Italian restaurant and bar that pulls inspiration from Maura’s upbringing in Sardinia, all while blending Mexican ingredients with Italian dishes and techniques, but as Alex puts it, “isn’t trying to Disneyland Italy.” Rather, it serves a threefold purpose: to showcase their personalities, lean into Italian hospitality, and celebrate delicious flavors from both cultures. “Café Arixi showcases the elements of an Italian family party,” Alex says. But specifically, his and Maura’s wedding in Sardinia, of which Meyenberg was a guest. “It’s based on the party that we threw at our wedding at Maura’s parents’ house. And the idea is we get to throw that party every night.”

“We really want to create a sense of home,” Maura says. “Where people will hang out all night with their friends, just eating great food and drinking great drinks.”

Plans are still being ironed out for their third concept, which the group plans to open in Oaxaca in early 2025. The idea is for all three spaces to be unique from one another, so while guests can expect the high level of service that is imbued into everything the trio has worked on, both together and individually, each will celebrate the neighborhoods that they’re a part of — with world-class food and drink.