Tuesday night, 10pm. I’d just staggered out of a wine bar near London Wall. My judgement dulled by drinking on an empty stomach, I decided this was the time to check out that new Mexican bar and cantina I’d heard about. Even if it was in Shoreditch.
Arriving on a forlorn stretch of highway north of Brick Lane at 10.20pm, I feared that dinner service might be drawing to a close. Unjustified: the joint, it not quite jumping, was not far off it. Groovy Latin vibes and funny wispy curtains together quickly blotted out all thoughts of the grotty environs.
There turned out to be nothing particularly Mexican about the ground floor (nor, as far as I could see, the basement DJ bar, which was shut). With bare wood tables, wood floors – in fact woody most things – the place is decked out in contemporary Shoreditch chic. The bar itself boasts the now-obligatory ranks of tastefully-lit spirits, although – given the bewildering array of rare tequilas – they deserve the spotlight for once. A couple of Mama’s Margaritas certainly slipped down very nicely.
As time was moving on, I opted for a couple of smaller dishes and a dessert. The stand-out was the ceviche, which was beautifully fresh and flavoursome. Second place want to the fragrant rice pudding. In third position, salsa, guacamole and the like were fine (if not dazzling). Roast chorizo, however – while certainly tasty – left my digestion reeling for days.
But, overall, this is a good place, and I may just have been unlucky with a single dish. And good Latin food is still too rare in London. So we’ll hail this as a valuable addition to the Capital’s nascent South American dining scene. And a good-looking watering hole to boot.
