Time was that London’s Mexican restaurant scene was a depressing rogues gallery of cliche-driven theme restaurants offering soggy fajitas and worryingly bright drinks. Though the city still has a relatively light Mexican diaspora compared to other more established communities, Londoners’ hunger for authentic Mexican food and the work of a few trailblazing chefs looking to plant a flag has meant that the Mexican food scene in London is dynamic, exciting and thriving. Take a look at this list of the best Mexican restaurants in London from Fine Dining Lovers.
El Pastor
Restaurateurs the Hart brothers have branched out from their Spanish success at Barrafina to El Pastor, a series of taquerias where the tortillas are homemade and the mezcal flows. We recommend going for the al pastor obviously, for a pork-loaded treat, but the menu is extensive and dying to be worked through. Various locations.
Photo by Tim Atkins
Decimo
Bristol star chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias (Casa, Paco Tapas) is the man behind this Mexican-Spanish restaurant at the top of The Standard hotel. The plates are as pretty as the views out over King’s Cross at lively Decimo and just as Instagrammable, with an oozy Spanish tortilla with an optional dollop of caviar the dish that is guaranteed to light up your feed.
Kol
Chef Santiago Lastra, formerly of Mugaritz and the Nordic Food Lab, has laid a gauntlet down for all future Mexican restaurants in London. At Kol, he elevates the cooking of his homeland, utilising local products (he loves UK produce) and imported spices to bring to life the mantra of ‘Mexican Soul, British ingredients’. It’s an approach that has won Kol a Michelin star and there’s no doubt that it is one of the best Mexican restaurants in London.
Photo: Great British Chefs
Santo Remedio
Santo Remedio, close to the never-not-heaving Borough Market, has been quietly doing its thing, serving delicious and authentic Mexican food, for some time now. We recommend ordering dishes of wood-fired and slow-cooked meat and fish and building your own tacos at the table. They also have a brilliant range of tequilas and mezcals, as well as offering a bottomless brunch if you have nothing important to do for the rest of the day.
Tacos Padre
In Borough Market itself, you’ll find the excellent Tacos Padre, which as the name suggests, should be your go-to when taco fever hits. Indeed, they serve up some of the best tacos in London, from pork carnitas to classic fish tacos, to cauliflower al pastor. An essential stop on any Mexican food tour of London, or indeed any food tour, full stop.
