Lupita East

Pretty average Mexican food. The tacos aren’t huge, and tasted alright, but nothing special. The horchata also wasn’t great. There is a lunch deal, which makes it pretty good value, but I probably won’t be back. If you’re in the area and fancy Mexican, I would recommend Boho Mexica or even DF/​Mexico instead.

Authentic Mexican food in Shoreditch.
My partner, some friends and I were in the mood for really good Mexican food so checked out Lupita East which is a 15 minute walk from our place. It did not disappoint.
To drink I got the sweet and more-​ish horchata, made from rice milk, almonds and cinnamon. My partner and I shared the classicos, basically really good nachos will super fresh guacamole, salsa (a little bit strong and tomato-​pastey for our liking), sour cream and cheese. To follow I had the cactus pad corn taco with cheese and pico de gallo. It was way more filling than it appeared to be, tasty and authentic. A real taco. The spicy sauces on the table complimented the flavours of the tacos and added a decent amount of heat.
Though already satisfied I finished my meal with the churros with warm cajeta (like dulce de leche, condensed milk caramel). The churros could have been better had they been covered in cinnamon, but the cajeta was delicious.
We will be back to eat more tacos and sample the burritos.

Enjoyed our meal at Lupita. Tacos, burrito and rice were all quite good. Simple atmosphere with friendly staff and good Mexican food.

I’ve been meaning to go to Lupita on the Embankment since it opened (a really long time ago) so I was cuffed they had a sister restaurant in Shoredich when I was in need of feeding before a show at the RichMix.
Bright, open restaurant with faulty towers type management and a private room/​bar downstairs for events (you have to go past this on your trip to the loo).
It was a Saturday early evening, and we hadn’t booked. This seemed to be a bit of an issue despite only one other couple being there. By the time we had left there were still plenty of tables free so I do wonder if they make a big deal of things to seem popular? Who knows the logic beyond people not turning up for their booked tables.
The menu seemed to have a Wachacca feel about it, with lots of small plates offered and plenty of explanation of what each of the dishes were.
I’m not going to lie — I was shocked that if you wanted to get some guacamole (which, lets face it is a given in a mexican restaurant) you had to pay at least £5 for a bit of guac. There was also an option for around £10 to have it made in front of you. While the idea of watching someone mash up an avocado infront of you completely defeats me — a few people did opt for this service. I suppose if you are paying that much for a bit of lime juice and onion you want a bit of a show with it.
Anyway — safe to say this upset me.
Otherwise, we ordered a mix of the small plates and the special which was a chilli prawn open taco which had a really lush kick to it. Another niggle, the plates come threes, which means there was a fight between me and the Mrs for the last one of each plate. Grrr.
However, the atmosphere was nice, and the food was good.

So we went here as part of a coworker’s leaving party.
I have been to another branch of Lupita before. But I don’t remember much about that one. But this one, will stay in mind.
We had about 12 people including me, so we did get good attention from the waiters. It is a bit on the pricey side. But in London, I think this is the norm. So I am not complaining. The food is great. I think great is an understatement.
Don’t go strictly by the menu. Some items even though marked as spicy weren’t spicy. Some that was marked less spicy were more awesome. You can also ask for more salsa or other hot sauce if you like it fiery.
We had a variety of stuff from Classicos (freshly baked nachos with guacamole, cheese and sour cream and hot sauce), Tostadas and Ceviches — Volcan, Tinga de carne, Enchiladas, Tacos and so on.
For finishing it all off, we had some amazing Churros. I realized that what I had from Winter Wonderland was not even close to Churros. I was lied to my whole life that Winter Wonderland served Churros. But on that day, I was enlightened and guess what, they give salted caramel and chocolate dips. So you are just not going to stop.
I cannot say how much I enjoyed it. Probably because I went there with all my mates. We had a lovely time and will go there again when we have another occasion to celebrate.

This isn’t a WOW place but certainly pleasing to the tastebuds.
We ordered the tacos and after being a little disappointed with the portion size we tucked in and the flavour certainly packed a punch.
The guacamole and churros doesn’t go without praise too. But nothing gave me that urge to shout from the rooftops… which in London sadly means you probably won’t find me there again.

Nice atmosphere and friendly staff.
They answered every question i asked regarding the menu and treated us like a guest.
The food was great. Small portion but very feeling.
If you are here the first time, definitely should try the Guacomelo Artsenal. Is good for sharing too.
They use fresh raw ingredients and they prepare it in front of you so you can see how is it made.
From Avocado to tomatoes, onions, jalapenõ, olive oil and half of lemon is so easy that you can made one at home! Is always better when you do it at home!

Oh little wolf from the east! You are so much better than your more central counterpart!
Why? Well, it’s just more relaxed here. There’s more space, more light and presumably as a result the staff are under less pressure, so the food and service is better. In fact the service here is really nice and you feel welcomed from the moment you walk in.
I had enchiladas which could have benefitted from a little more spice but was accompanied by a couple of different chilli sauces and was very tasty.
It’s a bit pricey for what you get but roughly in line with what you’d pay at Boho Mexica up the road, making it a pretty decent dining option in the area especially if you’re trying to avoid the terrible excuse for curry served by most of the establishments in nearby Brick Lane.
4 stars though because so far only Mestizo deserves 5 for this type of cuisine!

The previous reviews of this place all point up one big problem-​service and they are bang-​on (as usual).
We went on a Saturday night (gulp!). It was not that busy at 8pm but then within about 30 mins all of Commercial Street appeared to enter. Things went well at the start. We had the fantastic guacamole check-​in which is worth £10 (don’t forget this!) –they make it at the table and it was honestly the best thing we had. We remarked that the taco chips were also nicer than most. I also ordered a pitcher of margarita to assist during the (correctly anticipated) long wait for food.
Once we got the booze and guac we had to chase the waiter down about 20 mins later to give our proper order. Once our order was in we waited. and waited, about 30 – 40 mins I think. When it did arrive they had got my son’s burrito order wrong. The waiter wrote it down correctly-​no cheese. I said «I hope I won’t wait another forty minutes for the replacement». It was more a statement then a question and the waiter, to his credit got it rectified promptly (maybe it was my face when I said it).
Our food-​meh. Not terrible by any stretch but we chose poorly. We ordered the Carnitas Pibil-​marinated pork tacos. The waiter didn’t really point out helpful combinations so we ended up with two small tacos each. To be honest, they wouldn’t have filled an asthmatic ant. I should have ordered rice and beans also The carnitas were ok, the pork was well cooked and tender, but too dry for my liking. I had had it in a restaurant in San Diego recently and it had more sauce. However, it was certainly tasty (though gone in two secs!).
Lupita East may be a victim of its own success and needs to get more servers. I will come back, but maybe on a weekday.

Meh, not impressed. Maybe being from America, I’m more able to access the hot spots for real authentic Mexican food.
This seemed like fancy off tasting Londoners idea of Mexican food.
Expensive…inattentive wait staff… food was ok.
Our tiny table was never cleared the entire time, empty dishes and glasses were piling up, and our waiter didn’t come around once to ask if we wanted our drinks refilled.
When we were done and made it clear we were ready for the bill… we sat for 25 minutes before someone finally acknowledged us and brought it over.
Maybe it’s just my experience though, because other people SEEMED to be enjoying themselves. Good luck!

Something about this place told me it would be disappointing. I knowwww I moved to London from the Mission in SF but I really hate that brand of «oh I lived in place x where they make the best y in the world so I’m ruined forever» snobbery so please allow me to be as objective as possible.
TAKEAWAY REVIEW:
— Food: I ordered a carnitas burrito and it was sadly bland, lacking in spice or really any flavour aside from flour tortilla, greasy cheese, and some shredded pork. +1 star for the salsa verde, served on the side.
— Service: friendly staff even though I was just grabbing takeaway. They offered to bring me water or a drink while I waited. Service was relatively quick.
— Price: Ees espensive! £11 for a guacamole starter? Sad face.
The price/​quality ratio just seems way off to me. Maybe it’s better for eating in?

The food is actually pretty decent (albeit way overpriced), but the service is terrible. I gave this place two chances and they dropped the ball both times.
FIRST VISIT: I came with a group. It took 20 minutes for our margaritas and 45 minutes for our food. Then, when the food finally came, they ended up putting onions in one of my group member’s quesadillas, even though she explicitly told them beforehand that she could not eat them; the quesadilla was actually LOADED with onions. We told the waiter and he disappeared and never came back for the entire length of our visit. So of course, we had to tell the manager at this stage and he asks her is she wants something else. She orders a queso fundido (without chorizo or anything else added) and that took 30 minutes as well, even though the manager kept popping by saying that it was coming right out. It literally took 30 minutes for a bowl of melted cheese. At this point, we were all irritated and ready to go. Of course, by the time we finally got the check, there were lot of errors. Oy vey.
SECOND VISIT: I came by myself. I ordered a caipirinha, which was actually pretty good. I then pulled up my phone and prepared to show the bartender who took my order that I had the Unilocal check-​in offer for a free bowl of guacamole. I pull up the app and show the guy my phone, as I was about to click on the offer to redeem, my phone died and completely shut off. The bartender then told me that it was too bad and that he couldn’t give me the guacamole because he couldn’t push the button to redeem. The guacamole was only $ 5. He then leaves and proceeds to make my drink, but then just lets the drink sit on the counter and refused to come back. After 10 minutes, the manager went over to the bar, grabbed my drink and dropped it off at my table while telling me that she «wasn’t allowed» to give me the free guacamole because she didn’t see the offer being redeemed. I explained to her that I showed it to the bartender and then my phone cut off. She would not budge and told me to try again tomorrow. I explained to her that I was visiting from the US and would be leaving the next day and that it wouldn’t be possible for me to come back. She did not care and told me that she wasn’t going to do it. This was really unfortunate that she would not give someone who is obviously visiting a free $ 5 guacamole when I showed that I had the offer because she did not see it herself. I planned on staying and ordering a few rounds of drinks and dessert in addition to the overpriced dinner I was going to get, but ultimately decided to just get up and order my entrée to go so that the useless waiter/​bartender would not get the automatic 12.5% gratuity that they include on the bill.
I don’t think I will go out of my way to come here the next time I am in the UK.

My work friends and I go here often for their margaritas. Normally quiet Mondays through Thursdays, which means the service is pretty good — my friend went on a Friday though and mentioned that it took forever to get a drink… but that’s for her review and not mine.
Food’s okay — nothing to write home about, but better than some other Mexican places I’ve been to in the city. The Artisanal Guacamole is great — and I love that you score a free one when you check-​in with Unilocal.I find the food prices high, but the drink prices are reasonable.
Come for the drinks, guac and churros.

By choice, I don’t go to Lupita (except for the first time) because I know that my incredibly low expectations will be barely met. Eating at Lupita is like eating at Bland Blanderson’s house with Blando Calrissian in the land of Blandonia.
I seriously don’t get what people see here. Okay, they have a nice tequila selection (although that can be said for a lot of places). They do have free (with Unilocal check-​in) incredibly bland guacamole that they make at your table. When I was there on a Tuesday night, they were never more than half-​full the entire night, so you can probably get a table easily. (Although for me, a half-​full restaurant speaks of a whole lot more…) Given the fullness of the restaurant we did have incredibly attentive service though.
What did I have? Well I redeemed my check-​in for the free guacamole made at your table. Which is great. Except that it’s bland and underseasoned. I mean they should hire me to make their guac because people would be lined up for it. We also split the queso fundido with chorizo. (Seriously if you come here, just get that, because it was good. Not like anyone can screw up melted cheese with a bit of chorizo in it… no skill involved in that!) I ordered the beef tostadas, the refried beans and the chilis. The beef tostadas (that had one chili next to them on the menu mind you) were bland. The refried beans were bland and weirdly sweet (as if the they put in sugar instead of salt? I don’t know). I ordered the chilis to put on everything to give flavor (as you do at Lupita, because it’s the only thing on the menu that isn’t bland).
So yeah, if you like bland Mexican, come here. Apparently it’s for the «British palate» but I think that if that’s their excuse the chef needs to learn how to cook with spices because I have more faith in British people than that. The service and staff are really nice and friendly though, so that’s a plus, but not enough of a plus to make me want to come back (unless my friend is visiting from out of town and she chooses the place and I want to see her which is why I ventured back into a Lupita in the first place).

Lupita East is typical London fare, and unfortunately, that means two stars knocked off right away.
One is for the food, which is always just… OK. It’s not bad, but it’s not amazing. There’s none of that kick or flavour or downhome side-​of-​the-​road feeling you get from real Mexican food. Stuff that makes your clothes smell like cooked meat all day long and makes you want another burrito right away.
Some of it is decent. The guacamole here is delicious and the insanely hot chillies add a nice kick to any meal. But there in lies the second issue most London Mexican spots face.
The price. This place is insanely overpriced. £7 for two small tacos that come with zero sides? I think not. If you want those chillies I mentioned above, it’s another £5. Rice and or beans? £5 each. You want a thing of chips? Don’t even think that it comes free with the meal like at most other Mexican spots outside of London. That;s £5 too.
The place is quiet and nicely decorated and it’s a fine spot to sit with friends for a while. They make a mean margarita (that’s actually reasonably priced at £7) but I won’t be running back here anytime soon. Sad.

I went there yesterday, because i was looking for a place to eat lunch and the thai restaurant i was targheting was closed. (damn). The replacement was a splendid surprise: along with an order minimum of 15 pounds, a check-​in on Unilocal netted me a free faboulous «Artisanal guacamole», which was hand-​made (before me) and it was simply amazing.
Ceviche and queso fundido were delicious too and i concluded with a delightful flan with «douche de leche.»
The personnel was extremely kind and explained me everything there was to know.

Not too bad, I mean, it’s not my mother’s cooking, but a great find in London! Most of the time, I feel like the only person of Mexican descent in this town. Make sure you check in through Unilocal and show the wait staff for a free guac & chips. And woo hoo, a variety of Mexican beers!

awesome mexican food. Seriously.
The free quac when you check in is pretty sweet though i would tell them how spicy you want it before they start to make it. I really enjoyed mine but I wish I would’ve mentioned that i like mine to make me sweat spicy.
The carnitas tacos were amazing in flavor and texture. I forgot what we had, there was so much. The horchata was good though a bit sweet… no matter, it was good.
Honestly, go if you like mexican food. Its so good.

Came back last Tuesday and it completely changed my opinion!
I had forgotten that they have a 3X2 deal on tacos on Tuesday: order three plates of tacos, pay two. I came back here with my boyfriend and our flatmate and we had a wonderful time.
Pollos encebollados (chicken with onion) tacos are a total blast and so are the churros.

Came here last night and was delighted to discover there was a Unilocal check-​in offer o redeem. This was for a £10 item (awesome!) of guac made at the table. Now this is where they lose a star — unfortunately our waitress was really quiet and sad looking.
Maybe she was having an off day, but if you’re having guac made at the table, you do expect some showmanship??? (And the rest of the time, she was a bit awkward and hovery. It’s a small thing though…)
Otherwise the guac tasted great — and was a huge portion (tho I think the accompanying chips were a little unappetising). The main of truffle quesadilla was interesting but a little bland — luckily the dips we had at the start were fun to mix in and try. The dessert was stunning though (almond dime torte) and they even gifted as a tequila café shot as we paid the bill. If only all restaurants could get the service spot-​on! Would return x