The top line: A reboot of sorts for one of London’s original Mexican restaurants. After over two decades of trading, Taqueria is relaunching as the more contemporary TAQ with a little help from neighbour Jackson Boxer. The Orasay and Dove chef has partnered with experienced Mexican chef Eduardo Yishima and the former Taqueria team to create a new identity and menu that reflects the fact that “London’s taco culture has vastly improved in recent years, while Taqueria’s offering has stayed largely the same”. Yishima is a graduate of the Instituto Mexicano de Gastronomía and has worked across his home country and London, including developing the menu for Soho’s CDMX Tacos. Chef Elias Marin and managers Milton Vazquez and Natalia Patino are continuing in their roles at TAQ.
On the menu: Served individually on heirloom corn tortillas, tacos include steak (grass-fed beef, matchstick fries, grilled onion, salsa negra); carnitas (braised pork, salsa verde, escabeche pickles); and fish (fried coley, shredded cabbage, chipotle mayonnaise). There is also a rotating selection of more premium tacos with limited availability, including – if one is lucky – the £10 Dove taco, a homage to Dove’s famed burger (dry-aged beef rib, Red Leicester, grilled onion, pickled jalapeño) which is, famously, also only available in strictly limited quantities. TAQ also offers quesadillas and tostadas. Supporting items include refried beans with cheese; chorizo croquetas; and deep-fried shrimp tacos – dorados – served with chipotle mayonnaise. As you’d expect, the cocktail selection focuses on margaritas, with options including watermelon, smoked chilli and a mezcalarita. Prices for these start at £10. There is also a tight selection of wines, agua frescas and micheladas.
The vibe: The layout and feel of the Westbourne Grove restaurant remain similar, but the space has been updated with a terrazzo-style floor and more modern branding. Design details include blackboards, exposed ducting and exposed brickwork.
And another thing: Boxer had his first ever proper taco at Taqueria, and so did many others. The brand started life as a food stall on Portobello Road before going permanent in 2005. At the time, it was one of just a handful of restaurants in London serving authentic Mexican cuisine rather than US-influenced Tex-Mex food. Over the past two decades – and especially the past ten years – the authentic Mexican food scene in London has exploded.
141–145 Westbourne GroveLondon W11 2RS