In the foreground is the bar area - great for groups - and beyond that is the restaurant with the open kitchen.
What do we need to know about Zapote?
It's a modern new Mexican restaurant in the heart of Shoreditch. Running the kitchen is chef Yahir Gonzalez who hails from the city of Aguascalientes in North-Central Mexico, but most recently has spent the last decade heading up Aqua Nueva in London. Partnering him here is Tony Geary who met Yahir while he was heading up the Aqua group.
Where is it?
They've taken over the old St Leonards site on Leonard Street, so the nearest tube is Old Street.
Where should we meet for a drink first?
There are plenty of options in this part of town - for example, just down the street is the lovely Passione Vino wine bar. But there is also a very large bar space here at Zapote - half the space has been designated as a bar, so why not come straight here? There's a separate bar menu of snacks and the cocktails are all in the £9-£11 price bracket.
Zapote 90 with Casamigos tequila, Oju de Dios Mezcal, orgeat and lemon (£9) with a plate of crispy pork skin that comes with a lovely punchy pico de gallo (£6).
So what does modern Mexican translate to on this menu?
You can expect a mix of traditional dishes and more modern options. Here's a selection of what we had to give you an idea.
Beef tartar taco, roasted bone marrow (£7) - scoop out the marrow and spread it over the taco for a meaty treat.
Black bean pozole, hand-picked white crab (£18)
Charred lamb neck, smoked aubergine and tamarind puree, tortillas (£17) - one of the best dishes of the night, our only gripe would be wanting more of those in-house made tortillas made using native Mexican corn varieties.
What's on the menu for vegetarians and vegans?
There's a good selection with five plant-focused dishes on the menu, two fully vegan, and three vegetarian.
Coal roasted sweet potato, chipotle mayo (£9) - cooked in the embers so it's lovely and smokey, and studded with chilli this was a standout veggie dish.
Room for dessert?
There are only two options but if you only have room for one, this is the dish you should order...
Coffee Mezcal ganache with pistachio and sweetcorn pastel (£7) - so no that's not a piece of corn on the top, but a very cleverly constructed white chocolate affair.
How's the wine list?
Split into organic, biodynamic and sustainable the list kicks off with a Lincolnshire Solaris or Rondo at just £24 with most wines from the mainly European list sitting in the £30-£50 bracket.
Overall thoughts:
It's always great to get an interesting new Mexican in town and Zapote sits nicely in London's mid-level price-wise. It's just as easy to come in here for a nice cocktail and a taco or two as it is to go big on dinner. And for vegetarians, this is a particularly good choice (we actually preferred the mushroom quesadillas to the meaty version).
More about Zapote
Where is it? 70 Leonard St, London EC2A 4QX
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @zapoteshoreditch.
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Zapote. Prices correct at time of publication.
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