Some years ago, if you were craving Mexican food in London your options would be heavy on the Tex-Mex – yet a flurry of new openings are showcasing a new side to the cuisine. Now we have a good mix of fine dining eateries, buzzy rooftop hangouts, street-food style spots and unique fusion restaurants. Read on for the best Mexican restaurants in London to satisfy your cravings for guacamole, enchiladas, margaritas and more.
Best Mexican Restaurants In London
Zapote
Having flung open its doors to Shoreditch punters in February 2023, Zapote is a relative newbie on the London scene – but we’re certain it’s here to stay. It’s a Tuesday night and the place is buzzing with guests (not an easy feat), with zingy small plates flying out of the open kitchen. Transforming British produce with Mexican flare, expect a menu of tortillas, tostadas, tacos and skewers, all cooked to perfection and doused in exhilarating chillies and spices. From raw fish (the yellowfin tuna and spicy crab tostada is refreshingly moreish) to chargrilled meat (don’t miss the coal roasted secreto al pastor skewers – seriously tasty), the menu spans 20 dishes of deliciousness. Naturally, start with a bowl of guacamole, and end with the chocolate ganache, shaped into a white chocolate, day of the dead style skull ready to be smashed with the back of your spoon. In between, chow down on succulent meats wrapped up in warm corn tortillas made daily in house. Perfection.
70 Leonard St, London EC2A 4QX, zapote.co.uk
El Pastor
London’s premier Mexican restaurant has a shiny new outpost opposite Battersea Power Station – and it’s brimming with party vibes. The Margaritas are plentiful with a whopping 11 to choose from (spicy marg lovers will guzzle the Diablito Margarita), with Tequila and Mezcales galore, too. Sip your first bebida with a bowl of zesty Guacamole served with moreish totopos, while you peruse the mouthwatering medley of tostadas, tacos, quesadillas and elevated sharers served with unlimted warm tortillas. The divine Tuna Tostada is not to be missed: refreshing raw yellowfin tuna perfectly matched with chile der arbol, nutty sesame and zesty guacamole. There’s also the indulgent Chicken Tinga, Refriqueso and Crab to choose from, or move straight over to tacos: think Al Pastor with melt-in-the-mouth 24 hour marinated pork shoulder, the Prawn with zingy spices, caramelised onion and salsa verde, the Gaono with garlic marinated sirloin, and plenty more. Match it all up with a roulette of salsas spanning addictive to just about manageable, packed with chillies, pumpkin seeds and coriander. It’s the perfect, finger-licking Mexican experience. If Battersea is a touch inconvenient, try El Pastor’s venues in Soho, London Bridge or King’s Cross instead.
Battersea (Circus Rd W, Battersea Power Station, London SW11 8EZ), Soho (66-70 Brewer St, London W1F 9UP), London Bridge (7A Stoney St, London SE19AA), King’s Cross (Coal Drops Yard, London N1C 4DQ), tacoselpastor.co.uk
Mestizo
Mestizo brings fine and authentic Mexican cuisine to London with a vibrant, diverse and delicious array of dishes to choose from. Following the success of their popular Camden restaurant & bar, the team behind Mestizo has launched a second site in Chelsea. We recommend starting with some fresh Ceviche and moving on to the popular Taco Tray where you can build your own concoction from a range of fillings. For Tequila and Mezcal fans, look no further because the drinks menu here is extensive. Headed up by Aima Indigo, also known as the ‘Cocktail Witch’, her take on a classic Margarita is extraordinary, with flavours such as Hibiscus, Lavender and Lychee.
Camden (103 Hampstead Road, London NW1 3EL) & Chelsea (392 King’s Road, London SW3 5UZ); london.mestizomx.com
La Bodega Negra
Once you get past the neon sex shop-style frontage, Will Ricker’s Mexican-themed restaurant La Bodega Negra is actually a pretty classy affair. Head downstairs to find a low-lit, speakeasy-style eatery, sumptuously decorated with vintage estancia tiling, taxidermy, surrealist furniture and cosy alcove booths – ideal settings for a late-night soirée. The menu follows a small plates format, with everything from tacos to fajitas to burritos up for grabs. The drink of choice? Margaritas of course, made from the finest tequilas and jazzed up with syrups and fruits galore. Low lighting and nightclub-style vibes make for an ideal late-night dining spot, but beware of the heavily policed two-hour table limit.
9 Old Compton Street, London W1D 5JF; labodeganegra.com
KOL by @charliemckay
KOL
Growing up in the tiny Mexican town of Cuernavaca, Santiago Lastra first started cooking to help his family cope with the grief of losing their father. Now, he’s making culinary waves all over the world. Santiago made a name for himself running sell out supper clubs around the world, but his most recent venture is perhaps the most exciting yet. Santiago heads up KOL in Marylebone, which offers a unique kind of Mexican food, using British ingredients to create eclectic tasting menus: think langoustine tacos, Cheltenham beetroot tostadas and guacamole made of pistachio. The Chef’s Table experience is particularly special, offering diners the chance to watch Santiago and his team of chefs cook up exclusive dishes straight out of the test kitchen alongside a bespoke drinks pairing.
9 Seymour Street, London W1H 7BA; kolrestaurant.com
El Camión
A lively restaurant on Soho’s Brewer Street, El Camión is the place to go for dinner that turns into dancing. Upstairs there’s a colourful restaurant decked out with bright tablecloths and a wall display of hot sauces; below sits kooky basement bar The Pink Chihuahua, where you can knock back margaritas into the early hours. Load up on classic Mexican fare before venturing downstairs: there are huge burritos filled with cheese, rice and pico de gallo alongside your choice of beef, pork, chicken or beans, plus decadently loaded nachos and taco platters.
25-27 Brewer Street, London W1F 0RR; elcamion.co.uk
Madera
For uber-Instagrammable settings, it doesn’t get much better than Madera: the sky-high restaurant perched on the 15th floor of Marylebone’s Treehouse Hotel. Think acres of aged copper and concrete tabletops, pendant lights and cocoon-like leather and wicker chairs, alongside views of the city below. It’s not all style over substance though: the food is equally impressive, offering unique interpretations of Mexican cuisine. The ‘Rocks’ menu offers a choice of meat and fish served over hot lava stones with morita chilli sauce, tortillas, rice and beans, to be enjoyed alongside raw dishes like seabass ceviche and tuna sashimi. The Mexican-style flatbreads, meanwhile, explode with flavour – there’s a grilled mushroom and truffle pecorino combination, or tequila-marinated prawns with pesto tomatoes and melted mozzarella. Be sure to leave space for the house churros, tossed in spiced sugar and drizzled in chocolate sauce.
14-15 Langham Place, London W1B 2QS; treehousehotels.com
Los Mochis
Mexican meets Japanese at Los Mochis, Notting Hill’s new restaurant perched a stone’s throw away from the tube station. It’s quickly become a neighbourhood favourite, with couples and groups of friends alike drawn in by low-lit, cool interiors and the promise of innovative, refined fusion bites. The Baja-Nihon menu merges the vibrance of Mexican cooking with the elegance and techniques of Japan, with small plates-style dining allowing you to try a bit of everything without getting too full. Miso cod is served in a choice of soft corn tortillas or lettuce wrap, alongside jalapeno, avocado and sweet potato crisps, for instance, and edamame beans are topped with chipotle chilli. There’s also an array of maki rolls, ceviches and tostadas, plus some wild cards like the Falafelito: fried chickpea falafels served with a truffle chilli sesame sauce. On the drinks side, Los Mochis has an impressive selection of small batch artisanal agaves alongside plenty of sakes and cocktails – the Pink Hot Chilli Paloma is our top pick.
2-4 Farmer Stret, London W8 7SN; losmochis.co.uk
Decimo
Michelin-starred chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias works his magic at Decimo, his debut London restaurant found on the 10th floor of one of the city’s coolest hotels, The Standard. Peter blends his Spanish heritage with a love for Mexican food, which he developed while travelling around the country. At Decimo, the Mexican element can be seen in the tacos, which are filled with cauliflower or pork, then topped with optional caviar for a dose of luxury. Alongside this, a charcoal grill sizzles up meat and fish, with Mexican hints such as a mole glaze on the quail. The retro interior design is also worth a mention, with a rattan ceiling, red Magistretti chairs and – the piece de resistance – floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, with a dreamy terrace for summer days.
10th Floor, 10 Argyle Street, London WC1H 8EG; decimo.london
