Taqueria

Worst meal I have ever had - do not bother!
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Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 0
Thursday, October 08, 2009

My expectations were high when visiting this restaurant. Being called "Taqueria" I was expecting something similar to the kind of food you could get in a real Mexican taco shop. I was hugely disappointed. Portions are diminutive and prices are high. For instance I tried the "tacos al pastor" which are offered as a plate of 3 small tacos. These tacos were no more than 6cm in diameter with very little meat in them and one small cube of pineapple decorating each taco. It was like a plate for a child and for £5.50 these tiny tacos were overpriced. Then I had the "puntas de albanil" which were a pair of slightly bigger tacos but not large. Again, the price did not compensate for the dish. The service was decent but the atmosphere of the place is rather gloomy and sad. This could have been forgiven if the food was good but it was not the case. The food was edible but not outstanding. Overall not a nice experience eating there. I recommend to look somewhere else if you want something closer to a nice Mexican meal.
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Clara
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 1
Thursday, August 06, 2009

Just as we were giving up hope of ever finding decent Mexican food in London, after many sad attempts, we came across Taqueria...

The food was just great. We only tried 4 items: fish tacos (pescado), skirt steak tacos (Carne asada), Frijoles refritos and some Mexican rice and plantains. All were excellent. Simple yet skillfully prepared by a chef that clearly knows what they are doing. Fresh ingredients with a good balance of seasoning and textures. The fish was perfectly cooked with a crisp batter and great chipotle mayo. Shredded white cabbage is the genuine garnish also. The skirt steak was nicely charred on the outside and pink in the middle.

The dishes were a little pricey for the size (these are small tacos) but here I was happy since the quality was so high.

Service was efficient and straigthtforward and dishes came promptly. Look forward to visiting again.
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Steve B - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, August 04, 2009

An obvious problem with this site, useful though it is, is that everyone is using a different scale, clearly no one is using a Good Food Guide scale where even a 1 is pretty good. But I do have to wonder where people have to go if they score a simple taco a 9.

The food here is fine not great, its a little like Wahaca where it all tastes a little too healthy and could do with being a bit more well fatty. There's also a real lack of generosity with just about everything (eg refried or black beans) being an extra couple of quid. I had carnitas, the pork in fairness was pretty tender but not completely melt in the mouth, there was very little else in the three small tacos and no heat, but there was chilli sauce on the table.

Without the side of black beans I would have been ravenous, as it was I was stll pretty hungry. The beans were good, but again the portion was meagre for £2.50.

I had a great beer, a Bohemia, much better than other mexican lager I've had, but I'm sorry to harp on, again not cheap.

So three tiny tacos, a tiny portion of beans and one beer= £14 including service. The food is fine, not great, but there's a lack of soul to the whole experience. i'm not some sort of pig, I eat pretty healthily, and I had to have a sandwich when I got in to stave off a headache, to eat here and be full you'd be looking more like £25- for Tacos!
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Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Saturday, April 11, 2009

Love this joint. Good variety on the menu, washed down with excellent margaritas - served in tumblers, contrary to a previous reviewer's experience.

The place was really buzzy on a Friday - we got there at 7:15 and had no problems getting a table but when we left after 8:30 there was a huge queue. Get in early.

The service was efficient, and the tacos were sublime, particularly the chorizo. You get either 2 or 3 per plate, so make sure you order plenty. Will definitely be back.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, February 02, 2009

Liz is clearly missing the point and did not research what to expect from a place called "Taqueria" which is synonymous with informal and unpretentious dining. If you go to a Taqueria in Mexico, you walk in off the street, sit at a basic stool and order some Tacos/whatever you want.

The important thing here is the food, which although a little pricey, is fresh and extremely tasty. In addition, the service has improved markedly under the new management.

Basically, you will not find anything as authenticaly Mexican (not the Tex Mex varietes endemic in the capital) as this anywhere else in London, except perhaps Mestizo which does a decent Mole Poblano.

Highyl Recommended.
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Anon
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, November 11, 2008

I was not impressed with the food or the atmosphere at this restaurant nor the expensive (but tasty!) small glasses of margharitas. The margharitas were served in a martini glass and they cost £7.50! It was like eating in a diner or a small, cramped boring cafeteria. I am not going back for sure.
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Liz - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, September 24, 2008

I am of Aguascalientes Mexico and at last find a place with decent Mexican food. We went on Friday for breakfast and my friend had huevos rancheros, another friend had a cake, and i had the tacos choriqueso. It is not the same as Mexico but it is decent and better than others in London. I wish them luck!
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Mari Sol
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, May 27, 2008

I went to Taqueria on Friday night with my girlfriend., we were looking for a 'cheap and cheerful' evening bite out. I live locally and heard that it was good food and reasonably priced so we thought we would give it a go.

We were not able to get a seat right straight away and there was little room to have a drink and wait in the mean time. However, within 20 mins we were seated.

The menu is very authentic and specifc, offering a varitey of tacos and side orders. If you are looking for burritos, guacamole you will not find, i suggest you go to a more commercial place. This really is very authentic.

We chose 2 starters and 4 main course (1 main course would not be enough for 1 person if you were hungry) so we could try different dishes.

The food arrived all togther and it was superb, we were not disappointed. Really tasty and fresh!!!!

I would recommend this place to anyone. You need to take it at face value that it is a great basic, small, place to go for an evening/lunch bite to eat.

It is a bit like a smart little Mexican cafe........more than a resturant.

All in all the bill came to £45 for 2.........i would debate if you could get better in london for this price, incl 4 beers.

James
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james piers-oxley
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Monday, April 07, 2008

This place is excellent. My husband and I often make the trek from south london just to get some of these fabulous tacos. This is definitely not Tex-Mex or Californian Mexican, this is really Mexican cafe food. We've been many times and taken many friends and everyone always loves it. The food is wonderful, the margaritas are fabulous, and they are one of the few places to offer my husband's favourite Mexican beer - Negro Modelo. The service is always great and they don't laugh at you when you make a go at pronouncing the names. They also have a nice selection of authentic spices and harina masa etc to buy so you can try your luck at home. And I really love those spicy pumpkin seeds they bring you when you arrive.

Definitely worth the trip, even if you don't live too locally.
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Joanne - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Sunday, March 30, 2008