Ask any American expat what cuisine she misses most, and the answer is usually Mexican. So you can imagine the excitement when word gets out that a new Mexican restaurant has opened in London!
On the plus side, Wahaca is named after a city that prides itself on being the Kitchen of Mexico (and high-quality cooking classes that Jon and I took in Oaxaca seemed to confirm this reputation). On the minus side, the restaurant didn’t have enough faith in people’s ability to pronounce Oaxaca, I suppose, and hence, Wahaca.
The place is also located in the centre of tourist hell (halfway between Covent Garden and Leiceister Square), which you could argue is needed because success depends on high-volume foot traffic, except that the excellent Green and Red seems to do just fine in its inconvenient, grungy locale in east London.
Anyway, I read an early review of Wahaca by a blogger duo who’d pasted their link on the Chowhound board, so away went Jon and I on Saturday night to check things out for ourselves.
Overall, the food was good, prices were reasonable (£18 a person, with drinks), drinks were outstanding, and the service was good enough, which adds up to: Jon and I will likely try it again. Soon, before the tourists take over (seriously, there’s a ginormous TGIF across the street).
Wahaca’s menu is divided into starters, sides, main courses, desserts, and “street dishes.” Street dishes are what we were craving, and on offer were tacos (3 for £4), quesadillas, taquitos and tostadas. No tamales, but I’ll try to keep the glass half full here.
Jon and I ordered up a storm, and the tacos were the best of the bunch, even though the fish taco (photo at top of post) wasn’t what I’d expected. Not battered and deep fried – a travesty! – but still a deliciously-strong fish taste and creatively served with chunks of mango.
The pork pibil taco was a little dry but overall flavorful, and the meat in the steak chipotle taco was served perfectly rare. It just needed some more salt, a pinch bowl of which sits on every table.
My major complaint about the tacos is that the corn tortillas were oily enough that even I (the lover of all things fried) noticed it.
The guacamole and pork scratchings were disappointing. The scratchings were stale and flavorless, and the guacamole tasted fresh but had the gloppy texture of something that had been pureed to death. Look at how shiny it was:
Our side of black beans suffered from the same over-pureed-texture problem. I just kept wondering why you’d go to the trouble of using great ingredients and making things fresh, and then ruin it all by dumping it in a Cuisinart or blender.
The summer vegetable quasadilla was lukewarm (and it’s just not tasty to bite into cheese that has cooled and congealed), but our chorizo quesadilla was wonderfully smoky and meaty. So the key to the tasty food is whether or not it makes it to your table soon after it’s cooked. Which makes sense – street food is about immediate service.
The drinks deserve a special mention, since I think the restaurant put a lot of effort into preparing each cocktail and agua fresca. For just £1.25, you get a tall glass of said agua fresca, and mine was a terrific mix of hibiscus and cranberry juice.
Service ranged from hostile and super-slow to extremely attentive and smart. The latter kind came from two men who had the air of people who own the place, so I’m pretty sure the only two people who are doing a good serving job right now at Wahaca are the co-owners. Otherwise, it took almost 20 minutes after we were seated for someone to ask if we’d like to order anything, and another 20 minutes after we’d finished eating to be able to ask someone for the bill.
Still, the dining room is casual and sleek, not too noisy, and the tables are roomy and spaced wide apart. A large group could easily eat together at Wahaca, and so the next time Jon and I go, we’ll round up the posse. This place kicks the Taqueria’s ass any day of the week, and I support anyone who’s continuing to raise the standards of Mexican food in London.
I can’t wait to try it : )
Well, then, sounds like you’re part of the posse for the next visit to Wahaca.
Hi there,
My wife Liz and I used to live in Islington until about three years ago. We now are in Inverness (a real Mexican food graveyard!)
I am a Southern Californian so I really missed my Mexican food. But returning to work in London last summer, I discovered a wonderful place called Mestizo — north of Green Park tube. Very authentic! (the staff at the Mexican embassy send Mexican visitors there). I highly recommend it, I think it’s a wee bit better than Green and Red. But a close call. … the food at Mestizo reminds me of the stuff my Mexican friends’ mothers used to make back home when we were invited around for dinner.
Mestizo’s cochinita pibil tacos are to die for! … I hope you get a chance to go.
Stuart, thanks for the rec! I’ll be sure to report back after we try out Mestizo. I’m always excited to hear about good Mexican in London.
Any luck yet? …
Hi there – I really enjoyed reading your review and completely agree re. the guacamole – it’s such a pity! I hope you don’t mind but I linked to yours in my site as I was doing a write up about the Mexican street food scene in London.
Hiya … was in London a couple weeks ago and had a chance to try out Wahaca on a busy Sunday late lunchtime. Overall feeling is it is brave effort — some of the dishes are quite authentic in spirit, but I must say something is lacking. I would have to say that is … Mexicans in the kitchen! Being from Southern California I am well aware of authentic Mexican food, prepared by Mexicans vs. Tex-Mex or Southwestern-style Mexican food prepared for US palates. And of course I prefer real Mexican food made by real Mexicans! … Wahaca is a noble concept, but Mexicans know exactly how their sauces, dips and combinations of chilis should taste.
That said, on the same trip to London my friends and I ate twice at Mestizo near Warren Street, a wonderful restaurant staffed almost completely by Mexican nationals. Need I say it was fantastic, again, like always!
Is this the best Mexican restaurant in London?
No. This is not classic Mexican cuisine but Tex-Mex fast food. Try Mestizo if you want to eat what Mexicans eat in an average restaurant. Food is not great but worth trying.
I am pleased to read that there are some Londoners (and others) that appreciate what Mexican cuisine is really about.
I have tried to go to Wahaca several times as I get asked many times which is the best Mexican restaurant in London me being Mexican.
Unfortunately they seem to close early afternoon and open until 6 or 7pm which for a Mexican is unthinkable for me, in Mexico food stalls, cantinas and restaurants are always open and serving food whatever the time of the day… so that’s disappointing, never been back.
As for Mestizo and La Taquería, they are by far the best I have tried. I prefer la Taquería because they avoided tacky décor and common places, the flautas (poor in filling tho’) are the closest thing to the real thing and the tacos are good. I also love the toasted pumpkin seeds with chilli powder they offer when one arrives, those are yum!
Another thing, tacos are not fried!!! Normally is just a heated tortilla… and certainly not with loads of lettuce and chopped tomato!… The beauty of a taco is that it can be filled with whatever one fancies (sandwich style) not just beans and meat and sour cream! Get creative people! Mexican cuisine is quite easy to cook getting to the right places.
Jhdeza, thanks for your comment. I hadn’t heard that Wahaca is closed until 6 or 7 pm every day, but that does sound strange to me considering it probably relies on high turnover for its revenue. I’ve been to Mestizo once and enjoyed the food, but I remember thinking the place was very loud and full of birthday parties. Given how much people love Mestizo, I should probably try it again.
I’m going to have to disagree, though, with your endorsement of Taqueria. If I’m in Notting Hill, I *much* prefer Crazy Homies to Taqueria. Actually, I’d probably prefer even Taco Bell (if it existed in London) to Taqueria, mostly because at least Taco Bell wouldn’t cost me £5 per lousy taco.
[...] are great but pricey). [And since we're on the topic, I've never had memorable meals at Mestizo or Wahaca, and Crazy Homies would be a lot better if they used thinner [...]