I'm always excited at the prospect of trying Mexican food in the UK - it's sort of a fantastic cultural experience in itself, to see how they interpret it. Wahaca is a London chain with maybe a dozen restaurants, and this one is on the first floor (not ground floor) of One New Change shopping centre near St. Paul's. It is casual and colorful, with a bit of a cantina vibe about it.
I haven't had a margarita since I moved over here, so I ordered the passion fruit margarita with great glee (£6.25). It was delicious, and a lovely fruity cocktail. Still, it is a far cry from the goblet-sized margaritas you get at an American Mexican restaurant (and loads more expensive, with the exchange rate!) Really it's better tasting than a typical margarita, but it was smaller and much more classy. Ah, to find a place that offered margaritas by the pitcher! Still, this is a great cocktail, you should order it.
Everybody got a few small plates, about 3 each I think seemed to do the trick. I had the plantain tacos, the butternut squash/gruyere/thyme empanadas, and a side of sweet potatoes. My food was all actually pretty good! The plantains were yummy and sweet, sprinkled with feta and drizzled with chipotle sauce. I also tasted my boyfriend's grilled British steak tacos which he loved, and I think they were his favorite thing he ordered. The empanadas were hot and crispy (sort of like....a South American samosa, if you've never had one) and the ingredients inside were creamy, but could've been a bit more abundant! I was laughed at a bit for getting a side of sweet potatoes, as was my boyfriend for getting a side of broccoli with chili oil and lime. Indeed, the greens he ordered weren't worth the stomach space, and could easily be replicated at home. I loved my sweet potatoes, however, and I think they're worth ordering to share with someone else. They were crispy and had a bit of a smoky sauce drizzled over. We also shared guacamole and chips - nice to see something more closely resembling tortilla chips and not Doritos, although they still weren't perfect. The guacamole was very good and made with lovely, buttery avocados.
The food all comes out as random times, so don't wait until everyone is served before digging in. It makes the place feel a bit disjointed service-wise, but that's okay. It's a very busy, noisy place but has a very fun vibe. You can probably fill up on food for £15, so not a bad deal overall! It isn't anything like the Mexican food I've had before, and I wasn't impressed with a few things I tried off other people's plates (like the chicken taquito) but it's fun, and worth a return visit I think! I don't know if you can do much better for Mexican food in the UK....though I say, always aim higher! read more