The Mexican food scene has never been better in London - which means there are some amazing tacos out there. We've rounded up the best places for you.
Sonora Taqueria
208 Stoke Newington High St, London N16 7HU
There's always a queue outside Sonora, such is the demand for their amazing tacos. Having started with a street stall at Netil Market, they're now open Thursday to Sunday here in Stokey. The menu features all the classics, along with a range of rotating specials. Go with friends so you can order one of each.
Bad Manners
St John at Hackney Churchyard, Lower Clapton Rd, London E5 0PD
Who would have guessed that a stall in a church garden in East London would be turning out some of the city’s best tacos? Chef Rodrigo was born in Mexico City and here in London, he serves up amazing tacos with local touches, so the beef tongue tacos might feature wild garlic when it’s in season. Get the birria if they’re on the menu.
Bake Street
58 Evering Rd, Lower Clapton, London N16 7SR
This tiny neighbourhood cafe has become white-hot for its weekend menu combos of smash burgers, creme brulee cookies and tacos. You might find chilli cheese crisp tacos or lamb birria for dipping in lamb consomme but check their Insta feed for the regularly changing weekend menu to be sure tacos are on when you're planning to visit.
Proper Tacos
Unit 6, 22 Seven Sisters Rd, London N7 6AG
Downstairs from the shiny new food hall, this diminutive stall has been quietly growing a steadfast fanbase. Owner Teresa makes the blue corn tortillas in front of you before loading them up with ingredients that might include spicy pork chicharon or cactus nopales.
Tacos MX
337 Lillie Rd, London SW6 7NR
Owners Aldo and Joel first popped up competing in the BBC's Britain's Top Takeaways competition in 2022. They may not have persuaded the programme's judges of their merits, but they've since won over Fulham locals who flock to this hole in the wall spot. The fish baja taco is the one to go for, but be prepared to wait as there's nearly always a queue.
Santo Remedio
London Bridge, Shoreditch
One of the best Mexican restaurants in London, its launch helped to redefine the kind of Mexican food we should aspire to here. The soft-shell taco is a deserved bestseller, but try the pork belly or chicken tinga tacos too. Stay for the sharing plates like the lamb barbacoa, and don't leave without trying many of their wonderful margaritas. Both the original restaurant and the Shoreditch cafe are worth a try.
Cavita
56-60 Wigmore St, London W1U 2RZ
Adriana Cavita's gorgeous-looking Marylebone restaurant serves up a select but top-rate selection of tacos on its modern Mexican menu. We were big fans of the smoked beef shin birria with its veal bone consomé for dipping but the baja fish tacos looked very good too.
Homies on Donkeys
686 High Rd Leytonstone, Bushwood, London E11 3AA
Since starting out in a tiny stall in Walthamstow, the homies have now opened their own taqueria in Leytonstone. Camaron enchilado - king prawns in a chilli, garlic and tomato sauce - are well worth your attention as are the beef chuck with bone marrow tacos, but you should follow them on Instagram for information about their weekly specials.
La Chingada
12 Rotherhithe New Rd, London SE16 2AA and 160 Eversholt St, London NW1 1BL
Somewhat out of nowhere, La Chingada launched to fantastic word of mouth in Surrey Quays, followed up by rave reviews. Mexico City-born chef-patron Walter Opitz was hyped up by his mates to open a restaurant, off the back of the amazing food he cooked for them. The team has now moved to a bigger site which also allows a proper dine-in experience and which also let them add more to the menu, as well as opening a second site close to Euston. Try classics like the al-pastor, but Walter's chorizo tacos should really be top of your list.
Kol
9 Seymour Street, London W1H 5BT
Heading towards the high-end of London's taco scene is Michelin-starred Kol, from chef Santiago Lastra which is high on the World's 50 Best list too. The tasting menu always features a single taco - the one on the menu now is langoustine with smoked chilli and sea buckthorn. If the tasting menu is too much, head to their basement Mezcaleria for tostadas (including enoki mushroom, fermented gooseberries, habanero), quesadillas and more.
Breddos
82 Goswell Rd, London EC1V 7DB
First opened in 2016, Breddos was at the forefront of London's new-wave taqueria offering. The original location in Clerkenwell is still a scene, with the masa fried chicken tacos and their Birria de Res (braised beef shin & short rib, guajillo chile, ancho chile) well worth a look. Sit at the bar if you can, sipping cocktails or something from their mezcal range.
Club Mexicana
Soho, Covent Garden, Shoreditch
Club Mexicana is unique on this list because it's an all-vegan taqueria. Originally a street food spot, they have now opened three standalone restaurants across town. They have vegan versions of taco classics, like a short-rib taco (with sticky glazed jackfruit ‘ribs’) or a beer-battered baja "to-fish" taco.
Del 74
129 Kingsland High Street, London, E8 2PB
Del 74 started in Clapton before landing in their current Dalston space, launched by Jorge Felizardo who originally started Taberna Do Mercado with Nuno Mendes. Tacos to order include the Conchita Pibil (braised leg of pork, avocado, red pickled onions) while the Cauliflower Crackling makes a great vegan taco. Tostadas and quesadillas round out the menu.
El Pastor
Borough, Soho, King's Cross, Battersea
El Pastor comes from the same people who brought London great tapas with Barrafina. They have now expanded across London from the Borough Market original. The 24-hour marinated pork shoulder pastor taco is the obvious main draw but watch out for the softshell crab taco too. The newest El Pastor at the Battersea Power Station is the first to offer a brunch, with Huevos con Frijoles on the menu, naturally.
Tacos Padre
Borough Market Kitchen, Winchester Walk, Jubilee Pl, London SE1 9AG
This Borough Market Kitchen stall comes from chef Nick Fitzgerald, previously at Breddos, Pujol in Mexico City and more. There's a shifting menu here that concentrates on tacos during the day and expands to a larger menu in the evening (with more seating in the market). On the menu, you'll find tacos with inventive twists, so a cod taco, for example, might include a smoked cod roe emulsion.
Also see
Caldera (Hackney) - this indie neighbourhood spot draws inspiration from Mexico and does a great Taco Tuesdays offer .
Decimo (King's Cross) - The high-end Mexican restaurant in The Standard has two key tacos - sweet potato or pork belly (with baja tacos available for weekend brunch).
Hacha (Dalston) - Primarily a bar that specialises in tequila and mezcal cocktails, there's a residency by Tigre Tacos to go with the drinks.
Taca Tacos (Deptford and Peckham) - Mexican-Cali style crowd-pleasing tacos.
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