London's premier Mexican churreria, tucked just off Covent Garden, Aguamiel does one thing and does it brilliantly: freshly made churros, cooked to order and served with your choice of dulce de leche, chocolate or condensed milk. Founded by chef Bernardo Pro, who trained in high end kitchens in California and Paris, everything on the menu is made in house, right down to the horchata and the spiced Mexican hot chocolate that is absolutely the right thing to order alongside.
This small taqueria on Stoke Newington High Street is widely considered the best place for tacos in London. The hand made flour tortillas set it apart from the city's corn dominant taco scene, and the slow cooked beef barbacoa, served simply with raw onion, coriander and a drizzle of salsa roja, is the one dish that keeps people queuing. Arrive early as popular fillings sell out and no reservations are taken.
The passion project of Mexican-born chef Sandra Bello and her partner Erik "Smokey" Bautista, Homies on Donkeys started life as a market stall in Walthamstow before finding a permanent home in a graffiti-filled, hip-hop-soundtracked space on Leytonstone High Road. The tacos are inventive and boldly flavoured, mixing classic Mexican ingredients with unexpected local twists, cutlery is not offered and the refried beans are legendary.
A tiny ten-seater counter restaurant tucked into Queen's Yard by the canal in Hackney Wick, Lucia's is one of the most exciting spots in London for open-fire Mexican cooking. There are no reservations so you put your name down at the door and head to Howling Hops next door while you wait, but once you're perched at the bar in front of the glowing charcoal grill with a mezcal paloma in hand and a plate of beef barbacoa tacos on the way, it's absolutely worth it.
Founded by Ashley Chipchase as a lockdown pop-up and now permanently settled at Bow Wharf by Victoria Park, Mexican Seoul is a lively, award-winning Korean-Mexican taco bar with the energy of the best house party in East London. The fusion, which originates from California, works brilliantly here, with gochujang-glazed wings, beef bulgogi tacos and elote corn ribs dusted with pecorino and chilli all fighting for the title of best thing on the menu. The wings have won 15 awards at Wing Fest, and one bite in you'll understand why.
