Bite Me!

For a city as cosmopolitan as London, I was surprised to find that there are surprisingly few Mexican restaurants – plenty of brash, Tex-Mex, tequila shot-downing style bars, perhaps, but if you’re looking for authentic Mexican cuisine without having to fight your way through crowds of hen parties swigging jugs of margaritas, then Mestizo might be the place to try.

The restaurant is split into two parts; the downstairs bar can, by all accounts, get quite rowdy, but the upstairs dining room is more sedate, with the focus on the food rather than the cocktails. The drinks are worth making a fuss about, however – plain and fruit margaritas are made with quality ingredients, and my tequila sour was gone in minutes. Luckily, we had plenty of food to soak up the booze, opting for a variety of dishes from the ‘Antojitos’ menu. These dishes may be intended as snacks or starters, but they are well-sized and two would be enough for a main meal. Being greedy, we ordered five between us.

My first choice was queso fundido, a bowl of melted cheese served with pico de gallo, for spooning into soft warm tortillas. I also ordered jaladas (jalapeño peppers stuffed with cream cheese) which were hot and crispy, just as they should be. Guacamole, served with tortilla chips, was chunky and zinging with citrus and coriander, a world away from the insipid gloop sold in shops. My companion’s flautas (crispy tortillas stuffed with chicken) and their accompanying green tomatillo salsa seemed to go down well, as did little empanadas, stuffed with an assortment of meat and vegetarian fillings.

After such a feast, we left feeling considerably heavier in weight, and not much lighter in pocket – we paid just £60 in total, including two cocktails each. I’ll definitely be returning, although I might have to put in a couple of gym sessions first…

Mestizo, 103 Hampstead Road, London NW1 3EL. www.mestizomx.com