Taquería

Terrible service. Rude general manager. Wow incredibly rude. I made the simple request of asking for one type of each taco which was done the last time I ate here. The general manager insisted that in 10 years that never happened. NO. IT NEVER HAPPENED HERE. TWO TACOS, ONE VARIETY. NO MIXING FOR YOU. Wow. Is it so complicated to have one type of each taco or to treat your customer with respect over a simple disagreement? Inflexible, rude service, overpriced, small portions. Please somebody open a proper Mexican place with good service.

We live so close to this taqueria but never dropped by for some reason until this afternoon. Didn’t make a reservation (for lunch?!) so got seated at the bar which was fine with us. I got a jalapeño taco, and a chipotle salsa quesadilla with a guava agua Fresca. My boyfriend got the same quesadilla and a potato and mushroom taco with beer. The food was absolutely delicious and at first the quantity seemed small but actually I’m quite full because there is a lot of waiting involved. I would definitely come back here for the tacos (and also cuz their alcoholic drinks sound delicious! Though the agua fresca was also amazing and a perfect hangover cure: p)

If you’re looking for London’s best tacos, then stop looking.
There’re at Taquerie, just off Westbourne Grove in the heart of Notting Hill. And there might be a few nice lil’ tequila cocktails on the menu as well… #justsaying

Love love love tacos. Sad sad sad that London doesn’t have that many taquerias. We came here for a group dinner and I loved the large selection of different tacos available. None of them were mind blowing in their filling selection but still better than a Wahaca or some other chain.
We ordered up a starter of guac and chips and ceviche. The ceviche was small as London usually serves it but very fresh, sharp and delicious. We ordered a fish tacos and a pork carnitas as well. The fish tacos were fantastically moreish, with the right amount of crispyness and saucy. My favourite. The pork was a bit uninspired for me and not very visually appealing either, so I let my boyfriend finish the whole plate.
We had a great meal here. It’s not cheap as each tacos plate is about £7−8 so you will end up spending. Pretty ironic as Mexican should be a cheap food. I’d definitely go back if I was in the area.

The food was incredible and very high quality. The service, however, was a completely different story.
The waitress we had was incredibly under-​trained in terms of restaurant etiquette. Immediately after receiving our food, she immediately asked «Is there something wrong with your food?» out of nowhere, leaving us all uncomfortable and speechless. The table was constantly being cleared without even being asked if we were finished with the remainder of the food or our drinks (clearing the glasses with a significant amount of alcohol left in the glass). After all of this, the waitress put the bill on the table without our request for any bill. This was ignored, as we continued to finish our drinks, only to have the waitress return with a card machine asking us how we wish to pay (AS IF WE WERE AT AN APPLEBEES IN MIDDLE AMERICA). Because of this, my experience was completely thrown off and constantly interrupted. Very disappointed in this waitresses’ lack of table etiquette at an actually very potentially enjoyable restaurant. Disappointing.

Great little spot for vegetarians to get stuck into to platefuls of Mexican! While there is a lot of great sharing dishes to choose from, the menu isn’t overwhelming with choice like some other places. Which I always find to be a positive thing, I’d rather spend my time eating than pawing over page after page of options. The tacos are incredible and spicy enough to add a good kick without making you sweat from the soles of your feet. The hibiscus cocktails are incredible and brilliantly, Taqueria have it’s only mini-​market full of Cool Chile Company wares for you to take home to continue the fun of Mexican cooking at home.

I got the plantain tacos and OMG delicious. And I am picky as hell on Mexican food, having lived on the Tex-​Mex border for two years. Proper corn tortillas. The caramelized plantains were loaded with rich crema– a perfect combo of slightly sweet and savoury. This definitely hit my cravings! I was also glad the servers spoke Spanish =)

It’s taken me a while to get over the transition from African to Mexican. It’s been a few years now and I can’t remember the former’s name … but the African kitchen that used to occupy this spot for ages and ages used to be quirky, delicious and always packed.
Taqueria has a much more orderly feel to it now, I doubt if the ambience is authentically Mexican. The dishes are. It’s part of the new wave of Mexican tapas-​style places (an upmarket Wahaca) which replaced the super-​sized Tex-​Mex outlets of yesteryear.
On our last visit the dark part of the restaurant (three tables on the side with the toilets and till) was completely empty, but we were still asked whether we had a booking before being shown to our table. On the whole, it was the service that let the place down … it’s actually really hard to write a negative review when the guy who serves you is so lovely and friendly. But he just wasn’t a trained waiter — more likely the friend (lover?) of one of the other staff who stepped in on a quiet day. We really should have refused to pay the compulsory service charge but my friend was too embarrassed.
So, what happened? We had a couple of kids in tow who don’t like their food spicy. It seemed no problem to order mild versions of some of the dishes — just for them to arrive smothered in chilli sauce. The next round was perfect. The third was sprinkled with raw chillies, so strong they burnt your tongue — and left a trace on the dish. Have you ever tried to enjoy dinner with fussy teenagers?!
The quacamole and chips we had hoped to nibble on while we were waiting arrived only after we asked for it twice more and after we almost finished everything else. We were asked if we wanted desert while some of us were still eating our mains … actually, there is not such thing as main course here, but they made a point of serving each dish separately contradicting the idea of sharing and tasting.
Overall, a real let down. We went home feeling flat — and still a bit hungry. A proper waiter would have had an easy job upselling …

One of my dearest friends is totally mucho loco for all things Mexican and she wanted to try out Taquería. I love Mexican food so I didn’t have to think twice. First thing you notice when you walk in is the very grilly grill smell. And just so you know that smell will follow you home as well. Other than that all good by the look of the place and the waiters welcomed us politely and with a smile. All the waitors also spoke both english and spanish which was very cool in my opinion.
I ordered 2 scallops, a ceviche and a fish taco. They were actually all very tasty and I got my tummy full but I wasn’t very hungry to start with. So the portions were quite small especially for the prices. The two scallops set me back like 3,5 pounds, the ceviche was 7,5 and the fish taco was like 6. So a little bit pricy if you want to eat a lot. Also I couldn’t resist the churros for dessert as the lovely waitress gave them such high praise and she was totally right — they were divine. For a drink I had a nice Mexican bottled beer (which was brought in a chilled glass and was heavenly).
So if you don’t mind smelling like a grill and overpaying a little bit for your meal then I recommend Taquería, because it was definitely delicious and a nice visit overall.

I grew up on the border of Mexico, and ever since I left I’ve been on the quest to find restaurants that can satisfy my Mexican food cravings. Once I left the States I thought I’d never get good Mexican again until I went home to visit family, but then I stumbled upon Taqueria.
The food is delicious! The tacos are tasty and the champiqueso is divine! The service is definitely lacking, but not enough to keep me from coming back for more. The only downside is that they’ve been under renovations for months, thus robbing me of satisfying my craving.
If you’re ever in Notting Hill, do yourself a favor and avoid the hustle and bustle of Portobello Road. Head down to Taqueria and treat yourself to some delicious food.

This is by far my favourite Mexican place in all of London. I am originally from California and my parents live in Arizona which both border Mexico so I know a little about proper Mexican food. Sorry to say but most «Mexican» places in London just don’t cut it.
Here they serve authentic tacos and other fabulous creations. I always order the carne asada tacos, the marinated pork tacos with pineapple, and the classic margaritas. The meat is always fresh and they use proper corn tortillas. The plantains are also fantastic and are served slightly squishy not fried hard which personally I prefer. Whenever I leave here I am happily stuffed and satisfied.
All the drinks here are very good. They are strong and not overly sweet with syrups and other artificial sweetners. Just good old fashioned mixed drinks. They also have a decent beer selection.
The prices are very decent for what you get and especially for this part of town. It’s usually pretty busy but even without a reservation I have never waited too long to be seated and served.
The ambiance isn’t exactly date night worthy, you won’t find table cloths and dimmed lighting here. But you will find amazing food that gets everyone talking. Its great for groups since the portions are small everyone can get something different and try everything together.
I should also mention they sell tortillas, spices and cheese!!!

Service is super slow, but the churros are awesome — almost as good as ones I had in Spain. I thought the food was overpriced for the portion size, but I had a good soup and others enjoyed their tacos. Could have done better at Wahaca, though.

I am sad that I haven’t eaten a proper meal here yet; I just ducked in for a drink and apps to get out of a torrential downpour. The apps were good (nachos, yum!) but what stand out was the daiquiri. Hemingway would be proud! It was top drawer stuff.

A very solid spot overall.
The tacos here are tasty, filling and dynamic.
The value is OK.
Friendly service.
The ambiance is nothing to shout about but perfectly comfortable.
If you want a relatively low-​key Mexican meal, this place should do the trick.

As a mexican myself, Im always a bit sceptical of any mexican food overseas. This was fine. Saturday evening was packed! as it seems to be quite popular in the Notting Hill area.
They had a good selection of tequilas and special tequila of the month, Tequila Ambar, which was a great choice indeed!
They have some good beer as well. Staff was very nice. Somehow it gets you wanting to come back.

Really good Mexican style tacos! So many to pick from it was quite difficult. Everything we ordered was really really good. The place is quite small so make sure to get there early to get a seat.
One thing that is not authentic Mexican about this place is the price… wow, when the bill came it was amazing how much some tacos and drinks cost.

This place has both good and bad. The night we went (a group of about 10 of us), it was packed despite being a Thursday night.
The food that we received was good, fresh, tasty but it was not cheap. Ok, it’s Notting Hill, I can let that slide. My one big criticism is that the tortillas they serve the food in are just ok — certainly not the best and it wouldn’t hurt if they were warm. The margaritas (I think £6?) were pretty good.
What really let this place down was the service. We were 10 people — that’s not a huge table and shouldn’t be a problem for waitstaff (speaking as a 3 year veteran of the field). One of my friends waited 45 minutes for fish tacos only to be told that it wasn’t ordered (which involved the waitstaff showing us that the only fish taco that had been ordered was delivered to the table because it was checked off their list… ok?). I had to ask 3 times (over 25 minutes) for some tap water to go along with my margaritas (margaritas served promptly, tap water not). This was particularly frustrating given that a lot of the waitstaff was standing around while we weren’t getting what we needed.
All in all, I wouldn’t suggest this place for meeting up (I didn’t feel that safe on the walk from Notting Hill Gate but that’s my issue!) but I wouldn’t refuse if others wanted to go here. I would be prepared to spend quite a bit and wait, though!

The food was excellent but serving sizes were quite small. Service was quick and friendly. I will come back. This is a good find.

EDIT: Lowered the rating to 3. I just can’t justify the crazy prices with the toddler portions. If an adult is trying to eat, provide more adequate portions!
OK, disclaimer — I AM MEXICAN (via California) — I know what good Mexican food is. And this place is probably the best in London. But here is the thing. Mexican food is for the people. It’s usually affordable and amazingly tasty. Well, Taqueria is at least amazingly tasty — BUT it is not affordable, hence only the 4 stars. Should be 3.5.
One thing I’ve had to get used to in London is that Mexican food is considered a gourmet cuisine. On taste alone of the authentic food, absolutely… but not used to the hoity-​toity prices for it. Another thing is that in London, you have white guys making ethnic food. Oh nooooo! I’m used to whatever ethnic food you are eating, it is made by the actual people.
At Taqueria, the food is very very good but the portions are RIDICULOUSLY SMALL! For the price, you feel robbed. But when you are dying for something authentic, you agree to the price gouging just for a sliver of authenticity. How sad but when its time for your fix, you pay for it.
One thing though — our waittress was unattentive. She was openly gossiping with another waittress and looked annoyed. Take that sour puss attitude to the back where diners can’t see your disdain. I did notice all the workers speaking Spanish AND a Mexican cook! Which shows me that there isn’t some English bloke making my meal (like I saw at Lupita East… ugh)
One cool thing though — they sell Mexican ingredients that are tasty! They are the only place that sells corn tortillas. If you are a true Mexican food expert, you know that flour tortillas are mainly for the gringos. Finally was able to get more of an authentic taste.
So, while I’m conflicted on price and portion size, I can’t deny — this food is delicious.

Taste and authenticity wise — I dare say — IT’S the BEST MEXICAN in London. The tacos and enchiladas served there are proper tacos and enchiladas /​not just some tacos crisps served with mediocre salsa and basics) — proper small round tortillas with a variety of delicious warm fillings including pork, beef and many more in a combination with amazing flavours.
This place serves authentic Mexican drinks and is usually quite busy.
The décor is slightly overlooked but despite this. It’s the first place that comes to my mind when I think ‘proper authentic, delicious Mexican food’ :) outside Mexico.

This has been my best Mexican restaurant experience yet, and it’s been a long, long search. The food was absolutely delicious. I judge a Mexican restaurant on the quality of its rice and its guacamole and both were top notch. I also really enjoyed the fried plantains, which aren’t served in many Mexican restaurants surprisingly enough.
The portions here are not huge, but still I think it’s reasonably priced. I had the carne asada tacos (which came as two ‘large’ tacos) and the arroz mexicana with plantains. I found this to be sufficient. I felt full but not stuffed. The margaritas are also nice and strong… can’t go wrong with that!
In my experience, the service was standard. We had no complaints. It was fairly easy to get the waitress’s attention and they were nice and friendly. Also, at 7pm on a Saturday night, it was fairly easy to get a table for 3 (there were about 2 or 3 open at the time). Highly recommend!

As I’ve been wanting to try this for quite some time, I jumped on a brunch opportunity with a friend. Yet, the experience was mediocre.
It’s cramped. Be prepared to literally be sitting on top of the table next to you. And, yes, conversations are heard all over. It’s cute, but it’s just too tiny.
As for the brunch menu, plenty of options including refried beans! Yet, I am allergic to avocado. I asked for them to not put any on my plate as I ordered a dish that could easily remove it. Yet, the plate had it on it and was covering my meal.
I’d still take Wahaca any day over this place.

Although not the cheapest or best for Mexican food in London Taqueria hits the spot. We have eaten here twice and and both times were great experiences. They actually get quite busy on the weekend and we were told around 8pm on a Friday night the wait was about 45 minutes. The second time around we came for half off Monday taco night which made every bite taste that much better!
Fortunately on both occasions the wait staff was very friendly and efficient. You just have accept the fact that this isn’t going to be a delicious 2 dollar taco from California and just enjoy the meal for what it is.
Quesadillas toasty corn tortillas folded around melted cheese with mushroom (v) £4.10, chicken or house made Mexican chorizo £5.10Al pastor char grilled marinated pork, pineapple, diced onion, coriander £5.60Gringa pastor (pork) and melted cheese sandwiched between 2 corn tortillas, onion, coriander £6.60Vampiro char grilled tortilla, melted cheese, char grilled skirt steak or mushrooms (v), Vampiro salsa £6.25Carnitas shredded slow cooked pork, green salsa, pickled jalapeño, diced onion, coriander £6.20Carne asada char grilled skirt steak, avocado mash, salsa Mexicana £6.60Pescado beer battered MSC Alaskan pollack, avocado mash, chipotle mayonnaise, Mexican salsa, shredded cabbage £6.65

Gute mexikanische Küche hat weit mehr zu bieten als das oft belanglos zusammengematschte Burrito– und Taco-​Einerlei. Aber man findet sie leider zu selten. Einen würdigen Nachfolger meines langjährigen Lieblingsmexikaners in Berlin (Mexico Lindo, erst Kant-​, dann Giesebrechtstraße) habe ich hierzulande leider noch nicht entdeckt.
In London fand ich im vergangenen August (2010) einen ernsthaften Kandidaten, der mir so gut gefiel, dass ich dort am Montag vor einer Woche noch mal mittags einkehrte. Die für Londoner Verhältnisse sehr günstige Mittagskarte (£6,50 pro Gericht) enthielt aber nur Standardgerichte wie Huevos Rancheros, sodass ich doch wieder von der normalen Karte bestellte.
Ein Londoner Qyper bemängelte, dass die Portionen der Taqueria zu klein seien. Ich empfinde die Überschaubarkeit der Teller als Vorteil, da man dadurch die Möglichkeiten hat, sich mehrere Genüsse zu gönnen was angesichts der an Tapas-​Tarifen orientierten Preise auch finanziell im Rahmen bleibt.
Meine Gerichte, die ich nicht einzeln beschreiben werde, da sie so gut schmeckten, wie man es A) aufgrund der Ingredienzenliste und B) der Fotos erwarten darf:
Choriqueso (House made Mexican chorizo rolled inside browned cheese, onion, coriander; £5,10)
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Sopa de Tortilla (Fried corn tortilla in a spicy tomato broth, avocado, crema, fried chile pasilla rings; £3,90)
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Frijoles refritos (Refried beans, queso fresco and totopos; £2,60)
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Im vergangenen Jahr genoss ich außerdem noch Ceviche (British pollack cured in lime juice with avocado, diced onion, coriander, tomato; £5,60)
(Siehe Foto unten)
Als Knabberei aufs Haus gab es ganz zu Beginn wunderbare scharfe Erdnüsse:
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Im Vergleich zum Essen sind manche der Getränkepreise happig, so nimmt die Taqueria für eine klassisch kleine (und gute) Margarita Classic £7. Mexikanisches Bier ist ab £3,95/33cl zu haben.
Betrieben wird die Taqueria von der Cool Chile Co. (
), einem Londoner Importeur von Chili-​Pfeffer und anderen mexikanischen Zutaten, die dieser u. a. auf dem herrlichen Feinschmeckermarkt Borough Market (
) und in der Taqueria verkauft.
Die Cool Chile Co. hat Vertrauen in ihre Küche. In die kann man nämlich von der Straße aus hineinschauen:
(Siehe Foto unten)
[Dieser Beitrag entstand unter dem Einfluss meiner Lieblingssongs der mexikanisch-​kalifornischen Band Los Tigres del Norte (
) .]