The best Mexican restaurants in London
I hate to be that person, but I spent a month in Mexico last year. I’d guess that means I'm qualified to around BTEC level in recommending the best Mexican restaurants in London for you to chow down.
Mexican food sings, makes your tastebuds go mariachi and dance along to their own tune. There is nothing I enjoy more than drenching tacos in spicy salsa verde or eating birria so soft and slow-cooked it actually melts in the mouth, and I’m always adding a side of guac. Extra lime.
Signature dishes differ across the country, from al pastor originating from the Lebanese communities of Puebla to the mole of Oaxaca – but I’ve got you covered with this list of the best Mexican restaurants in London bringing authentic flavours to your plates.
Taquiza
Stepping in to fix the Taco Queen-shaped hole in my heart (yes, I know it’s been like three years) is Peckham’s Taquiza.
The restaurant, which turns into late-night institution The Carpet Shop come 10 pm, gives a true taste of Mexico.
Suegra’s refried black beans had me diving in for more before I’d finish chewing and chasing my friends for the cheesiest piece to scoop up with the homemade tortilla chips. Make this dish the first thing you order.
But the other need-to-try dishes include the Baja-style fried king prawn taco, the pork carnitas estilo Michoacan, and the grilled elotes (the best corn on the cob you’ll ever have).
They also do bottomless birria, beer, and margaritas every Saturday. If you need me, you know where I’ll be.
Peckham, SE15 | taquiza.co.uk
Corrochio’s
The pork pastor tacos at Corrochio’s were some of the best I’ve tasted outside of Mexico, served with that signature charred pineapple for delicious sweetness.
It also serves up chilaquiles for brunch – fried corn totopos tossed in salsa roja, topped with cheese, cream, onions, and a fried egg with a side of refried beans.
Under the restaurant, you’ll find the Corrochio’s Cantina. This is more of a buzzy and lowkey vibe than the sit-down affair upstairs. You can expect bar nibbles of botanas and tostadas and house cocktails paying homage to tequila and mezcal.
If you’re there for a proper party, it has to be a round of the Pico Back: Koch Elemental Mezcal served with a jalapeño brine chaser. Not for the lemon-and-herb-hearted.
Dalston, N16 | corrochios.com
Taca Tacos
Known for its beef birria tacos, Deptford and Peckham’s Taca Tacos cooks its Mexican beef for six hours in a blend of chillies and spices and serves your tacos with a side of extra rich broth for dipping – just try and not drink it straight from the pot. Harder than it seems.
The Taca chefs also brew up monthly specials, which always feature an interesting flavour mix or playfully combine two cuisines.
There has been the lahmacun ‘Turkish pizza’ taco, with minced beef and topped with a tomato and sumac Piyaz, garlic yoghurt, arbol salsa, and a guindilla pepper for extra kick, and not forgetting the fried chicken katsu taco, with buttermilk fried chicken, katsu sauce, pickled cucumber, chilli crisp, wasabi mayo, slaw, and red chillis.
The Deptford branch also brings you Taca burritos, pick your protein, add the extra guac, and dig in.
Deptford, SE8, Peckham, SE15 | tacatacos.co.uk
Brorritos
If you like things extra large at no extra charge, then Brorritos is for you. It has three sites across South London – including one that has just opened in Clapham – bringing you huge burritos.
Wrapped in a perfect 12-inch tortilla blanket, the flavours of the bros’ house burrito can’t be beaten: it’s filled with griddled chicken thighs, red rice, cheese, red and white cabbage, pink onions, sweetcorn salsa, crushed nachos, and chipotle mayo.
The rest of the menu isn’t to be slept on, of course. Sides and tacos keep the good vibes going with its birria-loaded fries, popcorn cauli tacos, and churros stuffed with choc for dessert. Luckily dessert is a different stomach, right?
Eltham, SE9, Clapham, SW4, Brockley, SE4 | brorritos.co.uk
Nine Lives Bar
If I were a cat with only one life left, then I’d be at Nine Lives Bar in London Bridge making the most of it. This spot specialises in pairing your Mexican dishes with drinks that put the flavours of the country truly in the spotlight.
The menu sets out the best combos for you, such as the Mello cocktail – Boatyard Vodka, Cocchi Americano, honeydew melon, and cucumber bitters – to complement the Agave Watermelon botanas, which sees watermelon infused with agave and served with feta, chives, and chef Tigre’s Mexican seasoning.
Then there’s the beef barbacoa taco – with slow-cooked beef brisket, onion, coriander, and a beef consommé – perfectly paired with Betty’s Manhattan, a straight-up drink of Bulleit Rye Whiskey, Sipello Aperitif, Lillet Rosé, and Raspberry.
Go from sip to bite and back again, and enjoy as the flavours have a party.
London Bridge, SE1 | ninelivesbar.com
Ixchel
With vibrant taste combinations and a plate that is picture-perfect, Chelsea’s Ixchel is a dining experience that takes the flavours of Mexico and elevates them beautifully.
With a robata grill at the heart of the restaurant, and chef Ximena Gayosso Gonzalez running the show, there is a focus on quality produce. Diners are invited to truly feast on platos fuertes (large plates), para picar (small plates), and del comal (tacos).
The roasted beetroot taco with smoked almonds, beetroot jocoque, and butternut squash purée brings an interesting combination to this veggie offering, and the deep-fried soft shell crab taco, with scallop tartare, tamarind glaze, and oscietra caviar, is a sensation you need to experience.
Large plates include the short rib with smoky adobo and pineapple salsa, which blends savoury and sweet harmoniously, and the peanut mole with grilled cauliflower and toasted seeds praline – with truffle if you’re feeling extra – is rich and highlights all of the many ingredients that need to go into a mole to make it this decadent.
And, did you know, the Caesar salad was invented by an Italian restaurant owner in Mexico? And Ixchel’s is the perfect ode to my favourite salad.
Chelsea, SW3 | ixchellondon.com
Editor's note: Spot any incorrect information? Or have an article idea for HeadBox.com? Get in touch at submissions@headbox.com