Machete

I still have trouble reviewing Mexican food in London, because even the most authentic places don’t get it quite right.
Take Machete, which is so close. It’s a classic hole in the wall dive that you’d walk past ten times out of ten. But inside, it’s low lit, comfortable tables and the food is quality. We did the tacos, which were good (but tiny and way overpriced at £3 a pop) and the nachos, which were heaven.
And I mean that, perfectly toasted, so cheesy, filled with surprises like beans and sauce in the middle. These were nachos done right.
But then everything else was meh. Again, the tacos were tiny. The margaritas were sadly weak and they charged for chips and salsa. Ugh. It’d be like charging for bread at a restaurant (which, if a London spot does it, it drives me crazy). It’s so cheap, chips and salsa, just put it out!
But it still gets four stars because it’s as close to a delicious Mexican dive that I’ve found. And that is something in London.

I flippin’ love Machete. The staff is always so good, and the food is great for how bland Mexican usually is in the UK.

Great little Mexican place, amazing cocktails and the food was really good. Great service too!

Judging on the beef burrito and traditional ceviche. I want to give more stars, but to be honest, the taste of the food wasn’t there. The beef burrito was fully loaded with lots of meat, but it lacked any flavor ‘cept salty. The ceviche presentation was beautiful… taste was not. The fish had a fishy odor and taste. I scooted the fish aside and ate the other ingredients which were good. The tortilla chips were good.
Staff were very friendly.

Came to Machete hopeful for decent Mexican food given the previous reviews. It’s a nice neighbourhoody restaurant in Victoria Park Village so has a great location.
Ordered a Chipotle Beef Burrito and a Traditional Ceviche. The burrito was a good size and was presented well. It was however, a bit salty for me and for £11 quid it’s a bit expensive for a burrito in my books. The ceviche was a good size as well but was too fishy tasting. Service was very attentive and servers were friendly.
I was going to give the place four stars, however, I deducted one star because when I asked for additional salsa they wanted to charge me £1.95! Are you having a laugh?! £1.95 for a small pot of salsa! no way and no thanks. See photos to see what I’m talking about.
Machete had good food/​service and in a nice location, however, prices aren’t really worth it — especially for the salsa!

This is a lovely little Mexican that does amazing cocktails. The food is delicious and really easy in the wallet too. Beef nachos are a personal fave… it’s big portions so good for sharing. Staff are friendly and attentive. Would recommend calling beforehand though as they get pretty busy in the evenings.

I’m very happy to discover a decent Mexican restaurant near my new flat.
I’ve now been to Machete a few times, and have tried both their pork and beef burritos, and they are of a good standard for a sit-​down restaurant. The nachos, however, were probably the highlight, topped with lots of chilli beef.
The place has a great atmosphere, and would be good for either a date or with a group. It’s fairly dark inside with lights made out of plastic coloured colanders.
The cocktail list looked good, but I didn’t try. Instead I went for a beer, which I asked for as a ‘michelada’. The were happy to oblige. The prices were really reasonable too.
This is definitely becoming a regular for me.

I have been to Machete twice now, and i have to say it is pretty damn sweet.
If you want authentic mexican with a nice vibe it’s the place to go.
My only problem with this place is that in the summer it is so damn hot that i wanted to cry — no air con! but hey, that’s just london for you — never prepared for the weather.
It’s tasty and better than most places — i say give it a go!

I am always on a mission to find good Mexican food in the UK as I am a California native and I really enjoyed the food here. There are a few disclaimers though, as I was absolutely starving and hung over when we came here it may have clouded my judgement but I will have to come back and test it out again. We actually happened upon the restaurant after walking through Vicky Park from Hackney Wick station during a festival in the park. We came for a late lunch on a Saturday afternoon and it wasn’t very busy so we were seated right away. We sat outside on the patio and it was decorated with the usual Mexican theme, bright colors, sugar skulls, lucha libre things and the like. It was a bit cramped in the patio area because it was a nice day and everyone wanted to sit out there. There is also a cool bar area in the main restaurant which I’m sure fills up on the weekends. My boyfriend and I shared the carnitas nachos and we each had one of the beef tacos. They are very small street tacos served in a corn tortilla so my boyfriend ended up having to order another one. The nachos were so yummy, with lots of cheese, sour cream, and guacamole topped with tons of pork. Each chip was covered but as it sometimes happens the bottom of the bowl was filled with sauces so the last chips were a bit soggy but I ate them with a fork anyways. Our friend had the beef burrito and it looked good as well and was quite large. The food is moderately priced for the quality, I wouldn’t say it’s a bargain but it is nice for a weekend lunch/​dinner. Next time I come I’m going to try the ceviche because I heard good things about it and will probably share the nachos again because they were that delicious.