Mestizo

This is in the top five of the best restaurants I’ve been to while living in London for just under a year. Not only is the food fantastic but the service is great and unlike sooooooo many other restaurants in London, this one is comfortable and not noisy. You can actually have a conversation — what a novel concept!
Back to the food, though. The menu is huge but we ended up getting the guacamole to start, the taco tray which was really fun to eat, the beef molcajete, and two entrees. For four people this was more than enough food. The jalapeño margaritas are tasty as well.
I am definitely going back. Really — fantastic place.

Once again mestizo did the trick! Went another time with my boyfriend because we were all «let’s go there again cuz it’s our spot now!» We had the shared special meal this time. Did not disappoint! It comes sizzling in a big pot that looks like a volcano. Everyone stared at our table… and I just sat smirking and sipping at my margarita! I think the ‘specials’ far outshine the regular mains dishes. Don’t stray from the real deal here people. just get what they recommend as specials. Oh, and the margaritas were great along with the boozy Mexican coffee I had after the meal.

This is the one restaurant in London that I’ve visited the most. No exaggeration but I’ve probably been here x10 more than any other place! It is my go-​to restaurant. The food and service are always great. The drinks are always great. This is authentic mexican food, in a friendly, family atmosphere. I have never had a bad experience here (did I mention I’ve been a LOT!). Tamales, molcajete, fajitas, magaritas, mixiote de carnero (my friend’s obsession!), you should try them all! Go. Just go.

Mestizo has all the looks of a gastronomical, unofficial tourism office for Mexico. Service is good, but not chilled, and the layout of the place makes it kind of uncomfortable for everyone even though it’s a large and fastidiously decorated space. Make sure you are facing the outdoors or you will have to stare at that massive flat screen showing the airbrushed beauties of central America in slow-​mo.
Food is fuss-​filled, which I dislike as Mexican cuisine is all about being filling and practical yet quality of food itself is good: fresh, great presentation, really lovely drinks. Ok place for a first date, not so much for a business meal.
Tip: Drink tequila and order some rice on a side!

The workers who greeted us were much less than friendly, along with our server who simply chose something for me to eat because I couldn’t decide fast enough for her. I ended up hating it because I am pretty picky and like to get a lot of things on the side. I guess if I would’ve had an allergy or anything I’d be screwed. Bottom line is I will never be going here again and I don’t understand why this overpriced, low quality restaurant has so many stars.

This place is my everything.
We have a few ⁶⁄₁₀ burrito joints in the vicinity of Euston Station, but Mestizo wraps them up in delicious tortilla-​y goodness and wipes the floor with them, at a decent price too.
I get the mickey taken out of me at work because I usually take someone from the office there about once a week. Their chicken mole rocks, you can get a decent glass of horchata, their nachos are a hungover treat, the staff are friendly, the service is quick, their lunch menu is the tits… I could harp on, but if you like Mexican just go there, and you won’t be hungry for a long time after. Everyone I’ve taken there now bypasses the burrito stand outside the office and walks the extra 5 – 10 minutes in the name of deliciousness.
Get on it.

The best and most authentic Mexican restaurant in London.
No frills, no gimmicks, no Tex-​Mex.
Straight up excellent comida, efficient and typically Mexican service — the head waitress is fantastic… super charming and takes no ####!
Lunch deals are great, £6 or £7 for quesadillas or burritos.
Seasonal menus and specials.
A very dangerous tequila selection — you’ve been warned.
Aye carumba… que rico…

I have mixed feelings about this place — there were hits and misses but on the whole I think they’d entice me back. Probably because I’m still dreaming about their 50-​ingredient house mole sauce which I had served over chicken enchiladas for main! It even contains chocolate which explains the gloriously spicy but sweet flavour that I imagine some might not be a fan of but I loved. It was just a shame I couldn’t finish the generously sized portion as it was actually quite heavy. In fact I think most of the main courses were, as my friends had a similar problem — especially the two that decided to share the ‘molcajete mestizo’ stone bowl speciality and sadly ended up wasting half of it by the looks of things!
The quality of the mains was good but I was disappointed by the starters — so that might help you with where to focus your efforts! I’m geekily fussy about topping distribution when it comes to nachos and it’s fair to say they were off here (esp the cheese and sour cream). The tortilla chips didn’t taste very fresh to me either, and the guac I found disappointingly bland.
The servers seemed rushed off their feet with the place heaving even on a Monday eve, though our waitress was nicely efficient to start with, particularly given we were a party of 10. It’s worth mentioning it’s a very veggie friendly place with even a separate vegan menu upon request. The staff largely disappeared for the second half of our meal though and getting someone over to pay the bill took so long we almost walked out.
I’d go back with a smaller party as I don’t often find Mexican food that I like in London, and it’s all quite reasonably priced. I’d know not to waste time and stomach-​space on the starters either (except for maybe the stuffed jalapenos), and I’d like to try one of their tequila flights next time too!

Been here a couple of times and it’s always consistently good food and service. Most recently tried the chicken mole and holy — it’s good! The regular chicken filling was a bit plain for me.
Can also recommend the horchata for something a bit different to drink.
Great service, decent pricing and free dips and chips to begin — always a plus!

Very nice mexican cuisine for a special night!
Didn’t really like the michelada but that just me, it doesn’t mean it is bad.
Very good menu with lots to choose from and great variety of drinks too.
They sell quality!

OMG… this is by far the best mexican place in all of London! We had about 20 people and literally ordered almost everything off the menu. We must have also had a bottle of tequila because the bill approached £1,000.00!!! At one point the owner even came over with the bottle and topped us off!
What a place!!!

Authentic Spanish food. Extremely good quesadillas and burritos. I recommend the chicken tinga burrito with guacamole. Definitely worth a fantastic lunch meal. Not too pricey either.

We came here on a recommendation and we weren’t disappointed.
We ended up going for lots of little mini starters rather that the larger dishes. All had great flavour, freshly cooked and very moorish. They might of been on the heavy side with a tad more cheese than expected but who doesn’t love cheese?
Best bit about it all was the margaritas, they don’t hold back on the tequila. After a few you’ll be falling off your chair. (Visit — 27/​06/​2015 Lunch)

Mexican food that doesn’t suck in London!!!
Margs on point. Tacos on point. Pico & guac on point.

Excellent and authentic Mexican food. A taste of home while on the other side of the pond. (And by home I mean SoCal, the other Mexico.) Tamales, empanadas, tacos, sopas, enchiladas… everything was delicious. The menu is clearly coded with allergen info, and they offer an assortment of dishes for gluten free and vegan diets among others. Some really amazing sounding margaritas and cocktails, too. The ginger margarita with fresh ginger was fantastic. Refreshing with the perfect kick. Quality of food was very good, and the menu was fairly priced. I would definitely be a regular here. My friend was so happy to have found this place and was already planning her next visit before we’d even left.

I was excited when one of Mr. Snarky’s friends invited us to a birthday dinner at Mestizo. I was more excited when I saw that they had special menus for those with dietary restrictions, including Lactose Intolerance! That’s awesome! While there are brightly coloured decorations, I think the dark walls and the dimmed lighting mute the decorations a bit. The staff seemed a bit confused about our reservations so we ended up just perching at the bar and having drinks until the person who coordinated the reservation arrived. The bar is at the back with a few seats, but you get the feeling that the area doesn’t really get used that often. There were about 15 of us arriving at different times and all standing at the bar having drinks. It is a bit cozy with that many people, mostly because there are also tables just opposite the bar. They do have a lovely selection of tequila. No Jose Cuervo here! I decided to have a drink called the Don Roberto with tequila, grapefruit juice, Campari, even black pepper. It was delicious and the tequila they used was really smooth.
Eventually the staff seated us at the tables next to the bar. Good call. We did notice there were other large groups dining at the same time. Clearly a place for groups to gather, but it does get loud and the staff are a bit disorganized with the groups. In fact, I thought the staff were a bit rude with our group. I get it is difficult to wait on a large group, but we’re still paying customers. There was some confusion over starters and the lady had mentioned that not many people had ordered starters so they would bring them out at the same time as the mains. Because of that, Mr. Snarky and I decided not to order a starter… we also thought that maybe we wouldn’t need a starter because we always end up so full at Mexican restaurants. While there weren’t many people that ordered starters, they did bring them out ahead of mains which meant those of us that were really hungry and didn’t order starters had to wait until they had finished their starters.
When the mains did start to come out, things got more chaotic as one of the staff was yelling at other staff, trying to direct the orders. It looked like everyone got the correct order and the food looked really delicious. We did notice that on the menu it mentions that you can choose from rice, beans, sauteed potatoes, or steamed veg with the mains, but they didn’t ask us what our preference was. It was lucky for me and Mr. Snarky as we got rice and beans. Unfortunately for Mr. Snarky it wasn’t refried pinto beans, it was black beans that were a bit soupy. Some people seemed to enjoy what they were having, particularly the people who ordered the Mestizo Bowl for two, but Mr. Snarky and I found our mains quite bland.
I had the Chile Relleno with the spiced beef (there was also some veg like peas, potatoes, raisins). Surprisingly, I didn’t taste any of the Poblano Chile and the spiced beef wasn’t very spicy. The rice was bland, but made a bit better by mixing it with the black beans. There was a red sauce on my plate, however, it was difficult to scrape some up to put on the chile or the rice as it looked like it may have just been for decoration. Mr. Snarky had the Enchilada Rojas as he was looking for something familiar, but after he took the first bite, I could see the disappointment on his face. After the second bite he said that it was very bland. I always find it difficult to understand how Mexican food can be bland… it is full of chiles and spices and I expect it to be a fiesta in my mouth.
Another reviewer mentioned how they have never paid so much for Mexican food and left hungry, I would agree that statement. We were so hungry that Mr. Snarky and I were trying to plan a getaway to get to one of the burrito places around London. We did order dessert, Mr. Snarky asked about the Strawberry Tamal, but the waiter couldn’t tell him what it was nor did he try to find out. Based on the fact that ‘Tamal’ looked a lot like ‘Tamale’, I told Mr. Snarky to expect something like that. And that is exactly what it was, a sweet tamale. It was ok, but it might not be to everyone’s taste. I had the flan, which was nice, but lacking in caramel-​y syrup. I noticed that everyone that got the cheesecake had a bite, but didn’t finish them. If you have a birthday, watch out… you get cake, they sing, and there is a sombrero… however, there is also a shot of something and quite a violent shake as you are forced to take the shot. While it is entertaining to watch, our birthday boy did not seem to enjoy it and his neck was quite sore afterward.
The atmosphere is great, especially for drinks and maybe for snacks before going out, but I’m not sure what I think about the place as a restaurant. It just seems like they might be trying to do too much instead of focusing on one aspect.

Had the enchiladas rojas. You get 2 enchiladas for £12 and they are not very filling. I would understand the price if the ingredients were high quality but the chicken was quite forgettable. Overall, very unimpressed with what is supposed to be London’s best Mexican restaurant.
The interior was very nice though.

A couple friends of mine who live in London wanted to impress me by taking me to this Mexican restaurant. I was skeptical at first, but I checked out the menu and it had a lot of legitimately authentic items on it, so I figured, why not?
The menu was more limited than we expected because they had a special tamale week going on. Well who doesn’t love tamales? I decided to split some with my husband and a friend, although they got the order severely confused. One of the tamales was great, but I found the other ones a bit bland and dry.
I love huitlacoche and it’s impossible to find in Germany, so I ordered the huitlacoche and veggie crepes. It was OK, but somewhat bland. It didn’t help that in addition to the veggies in the crêpe, I had a load of steamed veggies as a side, with no seasoning whatsoever. At this price point, I’d expect the sides to be more creative or interesting.
I tried the chicken dishes that my friends ordered, and found them unimpressive as well. I mean, tasty sauces, but I’d expect a bit more than grilled chicken downing in sauce for $ 20.
The service was also slow and indifferent, even with simple drinks like beers. I will say the margarita I had was good.
I think the restaurant would be better served by making the menu much smaller and focusing on improving the flavor and quality of their dishes. Maybe it was just an off-​night, but I’d be wary of coming back when there’s so much other delicious food to eat in London.

Nous cherchions un restaurant en fin de soirée, et sommes tombés sur ce petit Mexicain…
Une belle surprise!
Les cocktails y sont excellents, la nourriture à tomber…
Je recommande vivement!

Great Mexican food is hard to find in London. There are several options for decent Mexican food, I grant you, but this beauty is properly great. This is the type of food your would get at an upscale restaurant in Mexico. High quality ingredients prepared well, including a crazy good mole.
The atmosphere is good, quirky, authentically Mexican. The drinks are also a high note, esp. If you Tequila. And I don’t mean that Jose Cuervo rubbish!
Try it out!

This has got to be one of the best Mexican experiences I have had this side of the Atlantic. (Otherwise it would be at one of the #Empellon empire places in New York.)
Mestizo has a snazzy looped promo video rolling over widescreen TV’s making me feel all the more like I’m in a bustling themed establishment, but I’m being sold Mexico in a travel information film, thrust down my throat along with the pretty colours of Mexico in the film: lush Green Guacamole and rich red Rojas, as hypnotising as the ace house blended Margaritas.
Seeing a joyful film of a piñata being bashed about, a rainbow of colour cascading across the wall, I told my date that I was trying not to visualise that that was what my brain was going feel like the next morning having tried most of the well stocked Tequila bar.
This place is authentic street food, come treat food. Whilst tripping on the visuals, Tamales were still tasty, just like my date had had in Me-​hee-​ko apparently, (I’m sorry excuse me, no I’m not saying Mexico in a Spanish accent, that’s me hiccuping on booze and really spicy food).

Als ich in London war hatte ich den Auftrag für unser Team ein Abendessen zu organisieren. Ich entschied mich für ein mexikanisches Dinner, aber so richtig authentisch.
Nach ein bisschen Suchen auf Unilocal bin ich auf das Mestizo gestossen. Die Reviews haben mich überzeugt und so habe ich gleich über Unilocal reserviert. Alles hat problemlos geklappt.
Als wir dann nach einem kurzen Fussmarsch dort ankamen, war unser Tisch nicht bereit. So tranken wir halt ein Corona an der Bar. Leider dauerte es aber recht lange, bis unser Tisch endlich frei war. Vielleicht lag das auch an der grossen Gruppe (ca. 10 Leute), aber eine Reservation ist für mich nun mal eine Reservation. Naja, nicht weiter schlimm.
Dann wurden weitere Getränke bestellt, und da wird echt hungrig waren bestellten wir gleich auch das Essen. Zu Zweit bestellten wir das MOLCAJETE ‘MESTIZO’, einen grossen heissen Steintopf mit richtig leckerem Inhalt: Rindfleisch, frischem Gemüse, Koriander usw (siehe Bild).
Es hat super lecker geschmeckt, und auch die Margaritas waren ausgezeichnet. Einzig das lange Warten auf den Tisch und dann auch auf das Essen waren sehr mühsam. Wie gesagt denke ich aber, dass es für ein kleines Grüppchen (2 – 4) nicht ganz so schlimm ist.
Ich empfehle das Mestizo auf jeden Fall jedem weiter, der in London auf der Suche nach authentischem mexikanischem Essen ist.