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Covent Garden (Piccadilly)
Leicester Square (Northern, Piccadilly)
Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern)
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Being an American and very far from the West Coast where we tend to have fabulous Mexican food, I was ecstatic upon finding Cafe Pacifico.
I went with a friend and shared a plate of nachos, REALL nachos! Not as big and plentiful as Red Robbin's Macho Nachos, but then again I'm in the States for good reason. We each had a margarita but sadly they left a lot to be desired. I've had beer and other drinks since and they are pretty good.
Regardless, the staff were friendly, the environment was great, not too pretending to be Mexican but mostly actual Mexican. I've brought other State dwellers here as finding decent, true Mexican food is difficult to do in London. It's not going to be the same as home, but it is able to provide a very nice substitute. I also believe they are one of the few places that serves El Pacifico beer, and as the BF has lived in Cali he couldn't believe his luck in me knowing of a place that housed one of his favourite beers from the States.
So to American's, keep an open mind to this place unless you're only passing through. If you've been here for some time this place is great, and for everyone else, it's worth trying after some viewing of street performers or shopping around Covent Garden. It's far enough off the beaten path that most tourist won't be able to spot it. Total win for me.
Originally a tip from a colleague for good Mexican food in London, I end up here every time I'm in London. I've tried a couple of things on the menu, but I often find myself coming back to their "Street Tacos" - 4 tacos each with a different meat filling.
The one time I ever had a problem, the waiter came over and apologies profusely, the kitchen had burnt my lobster starter. The end result was a high quality mojito on the house while I waited another 10 minutes for them to cook it again.
The bar is fully stocked and I believe it has over 100 types of tequila. I'm not a tequila man, but their mojitos are pretty good, especially if you splash out for the better quality rum.
Whenever my craving for good Mexican food gets bad enough, I sometimes find myself considering the 45 min flight to London for quick trip, dropping by Café Pacifico along the way. It certainly beats the 12+ hours in the air to San Francisco.
Listed in: Favourite Restaurants
Possibly the best Mexican restaurant in London...amazing food and cool sounds...Chimichangas and Dos Equis all the way!
Yeah.... no.
My fajitas involved baby corn and asparagus. And one, yes one piece of broccoli. That's right folks, it was like a delicious Asian stir fry and a delicious Mexican fajita together in a totally disgusting flour tortilla marriage. Well I object.
Chips were cold (read: not freshly made... or gasp, perhaps not made in house. I'm praying for the former.) And the margarita tasted medicinal... and not in that "oh, it burns, it burns!" tequila-type way.
To end with a few hugely redeeming qualities: the salsa was actually the best, yes the BEST I've had in London. Spicy, just the right texture and very flavourful. Yum, yum, yum!
Also, the atmosphere is fantastic -- exactly what a dirty Tex-Mex place should be. None of this sterile plastic-y pink, white, and neon green stuff that seems to be synonymous with "Mexican" here in London.
Finally, the service was on it. A few missed connections here and there, but in general, I was exceptionally impressed with the speed, friendliness, and quality of every staff member I was in contact with.
Overall, this was a fabulous place to hang out with a table full of my closest friends. Next time I'll just drink beer and eat the salsa by the spoonful.
Listed in: London Lunch Spots, Great for Groups, Central London Finds, UK UYES!, Covent Garden
Yes, this is the best Texican Mexican I've had in London so far. Everything combined, on reflection, made it the best experience. Good company, nice interior, complimentary chips and a pretty fun looking bar area over the other side. Plus, it was the day of the deeeeaaaaaaad, so it was a very spiritual eating experience for me as I have heard of Mexico.
Phil R and I both chose the spicy beer, but something disastrous happened and I ended up with the spiciest beer in the history of Mexico. It was awesome with the tabasco, lemon and whatever else it was and it struck me as the beer drinker's day after the night before bloody mary. It was a sodding struggle to finish it, though.
Next time I have a hangover, I am going to come here and get one to see how true that nonsensical theory is.
But my beans of fury meal (not its real name, sadly) was pretty tasty and helped me avoid the beer of fury long enough to forget what drinking it was like.
I recommend that beer though, serious.
But yeah, I am totally happy to come back here, it was kinda nice!
Listed in: Mexicana-rama-lama-ding-d ong
Working double shifts in Covent Garden is quite a task for me(please dont get me started on the tourists) so its nice to be able to get out of work for lunch and find a nice place to eat some lunch.
This place is just the right amount of hidden so that its quiet but not so quiet you feel the place is dead. The decor is a little strange and eclectic but somehow it works together with the fun music to create an extremely pleasant atmosphere.
Im with Larissa on the disappointing tacos. Not what I expected. But the fajitas are really good and from my experience the service is quite quick most days(you do get the one random day where you cant seem to get anyones attention). The food always comes in a timely manner which is really good if you're eating alone.
Overall the vibe is great. Deffinately somewhere I'd take my friends for dinner and somewhere I will continue eating on my lunch break :).
On my second visit, I'd forgot what I ordered on my previous visit and thought, 'I'm pretty sure I got the enchiladas... I remember eating them with a fork'.
But, really, what I'd forgot was that the tacos were bizarrely served like enchiladas, which made eating them with a fork necessary.
So, I ordered the tacos again. And this time around, I felt cheated. Cheated because I'd forgot they weren't actually tacos. Cheated because I didn't actually try the enchiladas. Cheated because they weren't actually tasty.
And cheated, most of all, because the margarita pitcher for 8 actually only poured for five. Stingy false.
The guacamole was pretty good, though. Best guac I've had at a London-Mexican restaurant so far.
Actually.
This is perfectly acceptable Tex-Mex in Central London.
It wasn't amazing. It wasn't without its…
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Reviewing a Mexican restaurant in London on Yelp? Oooooh, controversial.
I'm going with Sandie L on this one. Are you from California and miss the Mexican food you know and love from your home state? You will ADORE Cafe Pacifico (and its sister, La Perla).
I happen to prefer CP because it is slightly more hidden and therefore not as crowded as La Perla can get.
Their service is a bit iffy -- we had to ask 3 different servers until we got a jug of tap water for the table. And Phil R's spicy beer wasn't so spicy -- i.e. they screwed up. But the fact that you can order a beer "spicy" makes up for it I think.
Mediocrity. Complete and utter mediocrity, with a side order of grocery-store "tortilla chips" and a drizzle of mildly-perplexing stylistic choices.
The atmosphere was fine--quite good, even--with the most authentically-taqueriaish ambiance I've found in the UK and a team of wait staff who dealt quite adeptly with our large and boisterous party.
The chips were rubbish but the salsa was quite good.
The mojitos were almost entirely ice and un-muddled mint leaves, and the blended margaritas were bland tequila-slushies.
The server didn't know what Pico de Gallo was.
The "street-style tacos" were, um, evidently never served on any street I've visited. Served in FLOUR tortillas (?!) and wrapped as little mini-burritos they were, contradictorily, exceedingly mundane.
Points for atmosphere, location, salsa, service, and the pleasant company with whom I dined, but I don't really have much more to give props for. Sorry, homes.
yup this was a great place. Id organised to meet old uni pals here. No reservations taken here which was handy as we werent sure how many of us would show up.
the restaurants was larger than i thought, and the bar area was ample. I got there early so had time to hang out at the bar.
Our allotted time at the table was 2 hours but we ran over that time by a great deal. it was so cosy in there we could move a good vibe as the atmosphere from the bar just spread across the whole restaurant.
food was fresh and flavoursome i had the veggi tosda and there were plenty of veg options.
the decor felt really genuine not kitsch as one might expect in a chain (very small chain) definately had the feel of an independent, successful Mexican tavern one like your local friends would take you to.
i would definitely re-organise an impromptu get together here any day!
I am totally with Nick S on this one, if you aren't American and don't consider yourself a Mexican food expert then this place will make you very happy. They serve very very tasty food, it may be a European interpretation of Mexican food.
You'll find quesadillas (pronounced kay-ser-diller) and fajitas all filling and spicy and warm. You'll also get friendly staff and great value lunch deals. So as you can see, if you don't go in there expecting the food to be fresh out of Mexico you won't be disappointed. This place could have been a solid 3 star place but I'm craving black beans right now so was generous!
Listed in: Lady Friendly London, Lunchtime in Soho, Mexican Food in London
A month into our move to London from California, we thought we'd venture out and give this Mexican restaurant a shot given that it got good reviews in one of our restaurant guide books. Big mistake. We obviously had eaten good Mexican food too recently to find anything redeemable at this place.
For the time being, I will stick with the Whole Foods Mexican section and my own kitchen. Much better Mexican food!
For Mexican food in london i was pretty impressed with this place. Sure its not like the states, but definitely one of the best in London. Mostly you can only find a few subpar burrito places so it was nice to find some variety.
I had the street tacos. pretty good. i also tried the fajitas which were good, but a little too sweet (don't know what sauce they use).
also the appetizers i got were really good..thre was some type of salad thing...it wasn't very mexican but the dressing was really good.
We went here because of the Yelp reviews. It was AWFUL food! Not Mexican in the least. When I pointed out to the manageress that they don't drench seafood in sweet mustard sauce in Mexico, that in fact they don't even HAVE mustard in Mexico, she claimed the food was meant to be "Mexican fusion." More like CON-fusion, said my husband...
That's not what it claims on the menu, which states clearly that the food is "authentic Mexican." It's not. It's tired, boring and tasteless. The chips were poured out of a bag (and most of ours were crushed remnants too small to pick up any of the salsa) The salsa was made in a blender, so ground up and like gazpacho more than proper fresh salsa cruda. The beans were right out of a can with no "refrying" as proper refritos should have had, and mine were dry and crusty around the edges from being under heat lamps too long before serving.
The vegetarian fajitas were mostly square-cut carrots right out of a bag, barely heated through. Should have been called "warm salad" instead of fajitas. I sent it back to be cooked and pointed out it was missing the asparagus the menu promised and it came back ten minutes later only slightly warmer, with some asparagus bits hardly larger than a toothpick scattered in, and those were totally raw. It had no flavour and was not worth eating so I sent it back.
Almost when the meal was over I asked the waiter what had happened to the guacamole and cheese and jalapenos that were supposed to have come with my order and he went and got them. 10 minutes later.
DO NOT BOTHER TO EAT AT THIS RESTAURANT IT IS AWFUL and about as far from real Mexican food as it's possible to be. We went because it was our 27-year anniversary and we spent our honeymoon in Mexico. I grew up in California and I am a Mexican chef myself, so I do know what the real thing should taste like. This is not the real thing. Run away. Run far away!
Very nice staff, but super slow service. Had to flag down the waiter a few times for more drinks and the bill :(
I hail from San Diego where the Mexican food is FANTASTIC! So I'm extremely hard to please when it comes to Mexican cuisine...
I only ordered four beef taquitos, which tasted pretty good but not exactly the size i expected them to be. Usually they are a bit longer than the size of egg rolls (spring rolls), so I ordered four of them. When they arrived, i couldn't believe my eyes...they were quite humongous and I could only consume two of them. If I wold have known these were GIGANTIC taquitos, I would have only ordered two.
I'll have to ask the waiter about portion size next time....but I'd def go back again :)
I love this place's authenticity and straightforward, tasty Mexican nosh. It all tastes amazing, and the staff are very pleasant. I highly recommend the tequila :-)
If you're after something a bit more upmarket, try Wahaca (tapas-style Mexican dishes) just the other side of Covent Garden...
I'm from the West Coast State side and while living "across the pond" in London I got lonely craving for SOME things from home... mexican food... however in one of the most diverse cities in the world, mexican food is not something to be found... trust me, my friends I looked and looked. When we found this spot of heaven we kept coming back! Some of the things I appreciated on the menu:
***COLD beer (not to be found in London or most of europe... no ice cubes). On a warm summer day you will appreciate this small treat!
***chips and salsa. Dont laugh, but my chips, or crisps as UK says, were doriotos with cheese--- this is not nachos I'm used to
*** my sizziling veggies and chicken - fajita style! Very yummy!!!
The service is awesome and spacious. Washrooms are nice too, which is always a good thing to know ladies!
As many other yelpers have pointed out, Mexican it is NOT. So if you're coming here for Mexican food, you'll go home very disappointed.
FWIW, I'm Mexican-American, born to Mexican parents, originally from Chicago where it feels like there are more mexicans than mexico sometimes, so I know what Mexican food is and is not.
The food is more like Tex-Mex, and drowned in melted cheese. Flavors are very bland, nothing is spicy. the "chorizo" is not mexican chorizo, it is spanish chorizo which is a whole 'nother ballgame. The refried beans are more like a paste than beans and I usually substitute black beans or frijoles rancheros for the refried.
The enchiladas suizas are drenched in some white sauce that resembles nothing of what real suiza sauce is though the chicken in the enchiladas is very nice.
the only saving grace for this restaurant was the fact that they carried "Pacifico" beer which is way better than Corona, and comes from the Sinaloa state of Mexico. Once you drink a Pacifico with lime you will never want a Corona again. Unfortunately, I went over the weekend and was informed they would not be carrying Pacifico beer until further notice. wtf.
Overall, for the price and the "mexican" food you get, I would skip this place unless you want tex-mex with tons of cheese on it.
if you want authentic Mexican food.....go to Mexico (or a state in US that borders Mexico) ha-ha!!
but if you are an uprooted SoCal ex-pat looking for a bit of Mexican restaurant atmosphere and a perfectly good meal, then definitely hit this spot - it will fill the void. i didn't venture further than a burrito (ranchero sauce on the side please), so i played it safe and was happy with my choice. the pleasant surprise was the refried beans and rice that the main course came with, that was just like home and - yum!!
Geez, I had to travel all the way to London from Texas to find my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant?! Something is seriously wrong with this picture!
I used to work across the street from Cafe Pacifico when I was living in London and it would be a special treat to get to eat at Cafe Pacifico. (I was really poor at the time!) I usually ordered the brisket Quesada Grande with everything on it. It came with an orange slice that made the brisket really juicy when squeezed over the top.
I can totally vouch for the authenticity of the Tex-Mex. But, let me tell you people...in Texas you will get as many baskets of chips and salsa as your heart desires because we a re bunch of fat asses so they are really doing you a favor by only given you one complimentary basket!
Listed in: Tex-Mex, the good, the bad,…
Let's get real - this is not Mexican food. It's totally tex mex like you would at any decent mom and pop place in Texas. It's not wow food but it can certainly hold it's own against what you can find in the US. The food is pretty true to its roots.
It's definitely the only place in London to get tex mex.
Why doesn't it get more than 3 stars? Because though it's good it's no better than I can usually make at home (and yes, I do have some tex mex credentials having spent the previous 3.5 years before London living and working in Houston).
Mexican does not happen in London... it simply does not.
They can nail every other cuisine (Chinese, Indian, Thai, even Philippino for gods sake), but not Mexican.
Take it from a Mexican. I think that burrito place in Islington next to the N1 Centre has got it down better than Cafe Pacifico. And even that place is mediocre.
I'm calling myself out on this one, but if you're from California you shouldn't even be thinking about having Mexican food outside of the state. Much less the country. You'll survive, I promise.
I can here for Cinco de Mayo as my friend heard that they were going to have drink specials and a live mariachi band. I had never been here before but as we choose this place over Wahaca, I expected the food to be better. I was mistaken. The chips and salsa that we orderedI for a starter was not good. The chips were a bit stale and the salsa was unexpectedly sweet. I hoped that the burrito that I ordered woudl be better but it was just bland. The drinks what we ordered somewhat made up for the food as they were all good but a bit pricey (£9) for the small glass that we given. I chalk this up to the resturant being in Covent Garden. I will say that the marriachi band was rather good and really made the night for us. As for the resturant, I won't be rushing back anytime soon.
Listed in: Mexican (or can't) in London
Alright, so I am reviewing this as someone who lives a couple of hours away from Mexico. I travel to London for work and I try to make Cafe Pacifico a part of the trip. God forbid I go a week without Mexican food!
I would give the ambiance 5 stars, really I would. The interior is cozy, inviting and perfect for relaxing with a margarita after a long day. I think Viviane's review describes it best. It's been packed full both times I've been, which can make for a long wait.
As far as the food goes, pretty average. It will satisfy your cravings, but it is gringo style all the way. That's ok, I didn't expect it to be anything else and it helps an Arizona girl get a piece of home while abroad.
This is a place that I thoroughly enjoy going with one other person, be it your girlfriend, boyfriend or best friend or a group. Down a side street in Covent garden you a greeted by a small flight of stairs leading you into the wonderful world of Mexican aromas. The walls have Mexican posters of old adverts and imagery. To your right is the grand bar - always packed with stools situated around the bar and people standing everywhere. In front of you and to your right are table and chairs with red and white tablecloths. This is the restaurant area where sizzling fajitas and burritos are continuously being served.
As a group the restaurant is great - sharing food and trying out new dishes. The tables are positioned in a very social setting hence the loud, bubbly atmosphere.
My favourite part of this place is the bar. Somewhere to go as just two. You can sit at the bar all night! Ordering corn chips, guacamole, salsa and tasty cocktails. The bar staff are incredible - creating the most amazing cocktail creations ever! The walls are lined with all the different cocktails they produce and a very detailed and thorough selection of spirits. A fun buzzing place open from 12noon to 11:45pm - a must!
This place has a lively atmosphere, but is below par compared to restaurants serving "mexican" food in the US. If you don't know any better, then you may like it...and I would know since I am mexican. Also the service tends to be shoddy (I gave the place two chances)...last night when I was there the server essentially tossed the food and drinks on the table and never asked if we needed anything.
Too loud and bad service but great Tex-Mex (for London)
It was a busy place since there is not alot of Mexican rest in the area of London. I went in there and craving chips and salsa and ate a few bowl and it was not the best but it was better than I expected from a London tex mex restaurant. The cheese enchiladas were not very good they were too sweet or something but the chicken enchiladas definitely were the best thing they tasted farther than i expected in a central London mex rest.. The waitress made me some amazing sweet brewed tea with lemmons- I have to love her for that.
Listed in: London
If you are in Covent Garden around lunch time and have a craving for Mexican food, this is your place. It's cafe style, fajitas, burritos, and tacos. Good authentic flavors. A lively bar with a variety of tequilas (no self respecting Mexican bar would only serve Jose what's it's face). I'm constantly explaining to both Brits and Americans the vast difference between real tequila and that synthetic shite...
Listed in: The Best Mexican Food in…
Two years after the fact, this is the only restaurant that I really remember from my trip to London. I felt like I was back home in California. Tequila selection is good . I could get a real cocktail for once (a girl can only drink so much beer), and all of my Americanized Mexican favorites. It was expensive, like everything else in London, but I managed to go there twice during my three-week visit. Just be prepared for a long wait.
My Valentine and I dipped our chips into the salsa and were instantly transported back home to Texas and Arizona (respectively), as a mystery ingredient instantly triggered childhood memories of family barbacoas and drunken pachangas. Apart from the accents of the servers and the strange white sauce on my enchildas suizas, this was pretty damn good Tex Mex, in Covent Garden, of all places!
Great place. Fajitas were excellent. Beef was juicy and tender. Very busy - recommend reservations even on Monday and Tuesday.
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