London is now a taco town! Over the last two years, some excellent taquerias and innovative Mexican restaurants have opened. And tacos have been deemed “the food trend of 2017” by some London food bloggers.
So we sent our correspondent, Julia Walsh, to London on a taco tour. We’ll be posting her London Taco Tour updates on Taco Tuesdays!
Here is her latest report:
Over the last few weeks I’ve detailed the stops along the London Taco Tour, and have to say that I’m really impressed. Every one of the places I tried was a memorable experience and brought something delicious to the table.
It’s been very difficult to try and rank them from least to most favorite, because each of them was good for it’s own reason and offered a unique spin on what they were doing. I’ve based my decision on flavors, execution, and ambiance.
Top 5 Taquerias on the London Taco Tour:
Number 5: El Pastor
El Pastor’s alluring outdoor dining area in the thick of London and its selection of exotic Mexican libations make it a wonderful spot to grab a few tacos and a drink. The tacos are delicious, but unfortunately the day I went both the pork and the chicken were pretty dry, even accounting for the long cook time. I still recommend you try both the al pastor and chicken tacos, but maybe order some extra salsa.
Click here to read the full review of El Pastor.
Number 4: Mole
Mole provides an upscale taco experience from their location in SoHo. I haven’t been by in the daytime, but the restaurant has a relaxed club vibe at night. The menu offers exciting and interesting combinations, but I didn’t find it to be consistent across the board. The pulpo taco – a daily special – was an exceptional experience, but the highly anticipated shortrib taco left me feeling shorted on flavor.
Click here to read the full review of Mole.
Number 3: Taqueria
Taqueria feels like a smiling neighbor, ready to help watch the kids or offer a beer. The restaurant is family friendly but just cool enough for young adults and couples to grab a bite and a drink. Despite their locally sourced ingredients and solidly good tacos, including the modern the soft shell crab and the unusual plantain tacos, they lacked the kind of flair that would take them from good to awesome.
Click here to read the full review of Taqueria.
Number 2: Corazón
Maybe it’s my Texan bias, but Corazón hit a lot of the right notes for me. The carnitas taco at Corazon was a practically divine experience of orange, cinnamon and pork, and the Baja fish was coated in a perfectly crispy batter. Unfortunately, the interpretation of barbacoa using lamb shoulder was hindered by the overcooked, crumbly liver cubes. (Fortunately, their excellent salsa helped to save the day/taco and bring the taste experience to the next level.)
Click here to read the full review of Corazón.
Number 1: Breddos
Breddos doesn’t just make good tacos, they make excellent food. The traditional flavors and hearty heat brought me right back home to Texas, but it was the execution of each item that really made this a memorable experience. From the miso and marrow butter to the spicy chimichurri, each plate had a signature finisher that elevated them from great to awesome.
Click here to read the full review of Breddos.
And that, ladies and gentleman, concludes the London Taco Tour! I know there are many more places that I didn’t even get to try, and I’m looking forward to the day I get to return and check out more of what London has to offer.
In the meantime, keep an eye out on the blog for more upcoming taco news…!