Swap foil-wrapped, messy burritos for crunchy nacho sharing plates, quesadillas with creamy avocado dip and churros alongside fresh salsa and tangy Margaritas. From elegant dining in Mayfair to street food style venues, there’s a Mexican menu for everyone on this list of venues serving the best Mexican cuisine in London.
The UK and London are more well known for their bountiful options of Asian cuisines rather than Mexican. A decade or two ago Mexican food in the UK would translate to a grab and go burrito; now we have dedicated Mexican restaurants with diverse menus to show off the rich culture and variety of Mexican options.
While we might be an ocean away from authentic Mexican cuisine, there are a few hidden gems in the city you should check out. They might not be a patch on real Mexican street food, this is the closest you can get without taking a plane ride to dinner. Here are the top restaurants in London serving traditional Mexican food and drinks.
It’s all about bold flavours with a seat overlooking 360° skyline views at this sister restaurant to the LA favourite Toca Madera. If you have read our previous blog post about the best rooftop bars in London, you’ll know we are crazy for a skyline view of this beautiful city. If you are lucky to watch the sunset on a clear night, this will be an evening to remember as the sun goes down, the mood in the Madera lifts to complement the vibrant energy of the Latin music.
If a relaxing morning brunch is more your cup of tea, they also offer a unique Mexican-inspired menu on the weekends served with their bespoke cocktails. Better yet, you can have it all with the Madera’s monthly brunch parties, complete with live entertainment, tequila cocktails and a house DJ to liven the energy while you enjoy your American-Mexican hybrid brunch.
The food is excellent here, but that’s not why Café Pacifico has made it onto this list. Instead, the atmosphere is what will keep you coming back for more. They were one of the first Mexican restaurants to pop up in London, so they have had time to build a loyal crowd and a buzz on even the slowest evenings. The atmosphere here is second to none because of the emphasis on sharing plates and comfort food, such as a large nacho plate with one (or three) Mexican beers.
Of course, most Mexican menus will offer tacos, but if you are on a mission to find the best in London, this is the place to go to find the closest thing to the real deal in the UK. The founders have even released a cookbook after the resounding success of their restaurant. American-Mexican roadside taquerias have influenced their street food, casual dining setup. As a result, Breddos Tacos offers affordable to reasonably priced meals without compromising taste or quality.
Let’s step away from street food for a touch of elegant dining. This unexpected establishment in this Mayfair private club may not be your first thought for where you can find Mexican food in London. Nevertheless, this surprising Mexican restaurant delivers exceptional quality, authentic Mexican food. It may be on the more expensive side, but it is certainly worth the price. It has even been said her Majesty the Queen has enjoyed an evening here.
Reserve a seat at this unique cosy nook found behind a faux ‘sex shop’ front. La Bodega Negra doesn’t do anything by halves, and you can enjoy a meal at a memorable restaurant with a sense of personality. We recommend the soft shell crab tacos or the truffle & black mole quesadilla. Of course, you should also be prepared to clear your schedule for anything planned early the next morning as the cocktail, tequila and mezcals are certainly something you can’t pass up.
Maya is another great option for a rooftop restaurant with a Mexican-inspired menu designed for sharing. Not only is the view worth taking in, but the summary decor may remind you of a holiday escape, with ample greenery and mosaic table tops sitting on a terracotta floor tile.
Our favourite menu items include spicy tuna tostadas with creamy avocado and chipotle mayo and the calabacitas tacos made of squash blossom and pico de gallo (similar to salsa but a little chunkier in texture). If you have a sweet tooth, they also offer crispy churros with a rich chocolate dipping sauce.
Just a stone’s throw away from Borough market is the renowned restaurant El Pastor, set in a railway arch house. They offer delicious tacos and a fiesta, so you can enjoy your Mexican feast surrounded by a booming of Latic music to set the scene. The venue’s name is after a popular Mexican dish with tacos with roasted pork known as ‘tacos al pastor’. Besides the Pastor pork taco, we recommend the short rib cooked for 12 hours with tortillas on a sharing plate or the gringa quesadillas with freshly made salsa.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a list of the best Mexican places in London without El Pastor on the list. They offer exceptional mains and a lengthy cocktail menu, and if you have space, they even have desserts. However, be warned, their signature El Diablo salsa is not for the faint-hearted.
After a year of lockdown, we are all craving a bit of social energy to feast off as we enjoy our food and have a much-needed catch up with our friends and family. They are a Mexican at heart with some inspiration from other cuisines such as Argentinian and, Spanish. They provide a wealth of flavours that can really hit the sweet spot and have you coming back for more. Temper Soho is a great place to order several small sharing plates to share so you can sample as much of the menu as possible. But, of course, that is if you trust your friends to share with you!
Temper also have branches, but the Soho branch is head and shoulders above the rest for its atmosphere and lively energy. This venue has also been newly renovated but has kept its core focus on high-welfare meat and crafting dishes to perfection alongside traditional corn tacos.
True to genuine Mexican food, Mestizo is all about vibrant colours and explosive flavours. They even offer beyond the standard Mexican menu of London with traditional dishes such as nopales and corn cake. Their energy and enthusiasm don’t stop at food. They also house a fun Mexican Market with foods and drinks, cooking utensils and Spanish-Mexican crafts.
Midweek Mestiza host a ‘Taco Thursdays’ in their private dining area from an authentic taco stand alongside the regular a la carte menu. You can also book this private area for your functions and celebrations.
When we say they put their heart into everything at Corazón, they do. Even the name means ‘heart’ in Spanish. This warm and welcoming venue uses the best quality ingredients to prepare their Mexican food to make the flavours pop. One of their more unique dishes is a braised Oxtail cooked for 5 hours before being served with a salsa borracha (aka drunk salsa with tequila and orange juice) on toasty tortillas. Another popular option is their citrusy crab cakes. If you’re looking for a vegetarian recommendation, try their celeriac and apple tacos or the vegan fried plantain and black bean tacos.
(Check opening dates on their website as they are possibly closed due to Covid.)
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