Luckily for us, more and more taqueria are popping up all over the city to sell these crunchy and delicious street snacks. From hole-in-the-wall-style spots in Surrey Quays to fusion joints offering bottomless tacos – yep, really – here’s our rundown of the spots to get the best tacos in London:
1. La Chingada, Surrey Quays
Just a stone’s throw from Surrey Quays station lies this colourful, hole-in-the-wall-style spot which serves up some of the best tacos in London. No joke. All the ingredients used here are 100% organic, with fresh meat and veg delivered daily directly from a local market.
Incredibly affordable, the street food-inspired tacos here really are the dogs b*llocks. The al pastor is a real classic – with thick-cut marinated pork, gooey pineapple, diced onion, and flavoursome coriander – and the chorizo tacos covered in a spicy, rich oil ain’t bad either. If you choose to dine in, you’ll have a soundtrack of authentic Mexican pop songs to accompany your meal, and they’ve got a whole host of soft drinks and alcoholic bevs from Mexico at La Chingada too.
You’ll find La Chingada at 12 Rotherhithe New Road, London, SE16 2AA. Nearest station is Surrey Quays.
2. Sonora Taquería, Stoke Newington
Originally sitting in Netil Market in Hackney, Sonora Taquería is the real deal and so expect a queue but relish in the handmade adobada pork served with pineapple and habanero salsa, beef barbacoa, caramelo with grilled beef, cheese crust, refried beans, cabbage and pickled onion. The choices are enough and welcoming to veggie and gluten free folks. Totally worth it!
You’ll find Sonora Taqueria at 13-23 Westgate Street, E8 3RL. Nearest station is Rectory Road.
3. Kol, Marylebone
Tacos but make it fancy. If you want to try a fine-dining Mexican experience, then Kol’s the spot. Kol was one of the top UK joints in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2023 list. It’s modern, seasonal and busy. So if you do get the chance to go, the food is a stunning emulsion of flavours and cultural influences with a fantastic list of cocktails which will leave you wonderfully satisfied or frustrated with choice. Try the langoustine tacos while you’re there and simply slip away in a food coma!
You’ll find Kol at 9 Seymour St, London W1H 7BA. Nearest station is Marble Arch.
4. Homies On Donkeys, Walthamstow
Starting off this list of the best tacos in London is Homies On Donkeys, a tiny, counter-only taqueria in Walthamstow’s Wood Street Market. Here you’ll find jazzy graffiti adorning the walls, hip hop blasting through the speakers and some bloody good tacos if we say so ourselves.
Friendly head chef and owner ‘Smokey’ is something of a culinary genius, and he whips up a whole host of lip-smackingly good fare. The food rustled up here is packed full of both flavour and colour, and options include shredded pork bathed in a flavoursome chipotle sauce, succulent king prawns in a chilli, garlic and tomato sauce and a vegan-friendly soy version.
There’s an ever-changing specials menu and a whole host of sides that you can add in to your tacos, plus tortilla chips loaded with guacamole and beers to boot too. There are also gluten-free options, and the prices are incredibly reasonable, so really there’s no reason not to head to E17 we say.
You’ll find Homies On Donkeys at Unit 38 Wood Street Indoor Market, 98 Wood Street, London, E17 3HX. Nearest stations are Walthamstow Central and Wood Street.
5. Taqueíra, Westbourne Grove and Exmouth Market
A dab-hand on this list of the best tacos in London, Taqueíra first opened its doors all the way back in 2005, and they’ve been perfecting their tempting taco recipes ever since. Tacos are, of course, their speciality, and they’re stuffed full of both traditional and modern fillings which incorporate free-range chicken, sustainable, line-caught fish, locally-farmed pork and organic prawns among many other things.
If you’re feeling thirsty, they also do a mean hand-shaken margarita as well as 100% blue agave tequilas, mezcals, micheladas and plenty of vinos too. There are plenty of veggie options here – including plantain tacos with fried green chilli and aubergine halloumi tacos – as well as quesadillas, tostadas and all the usual nibbles too. They’ve also just opened up a spot in Exmouth Market.
You’ll find Taqueíra at 141-145 Westbourne Grove, London, W11 2RS and at 8-10 Exmouth Market, London, EC1R 4QA. Nearest stations are Notting Hill Gate and Farringdon.
6. Ziggy Green, Regent Street
Sometimes, you happen across a London spot with so many awesome things that you really don’t know where to begin with it all. Ziggy Green is one such place. For starters, it’s a Tulum-themed taqueria and cocktail bar, bringing tropical Mexican vibes to Mayfair.
Secondly, it’s also housed in a Grade-I listed former cinema on Heddon Street, the very spot where the album cover of David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust was shot.But perhaps most importantly, they’re also running a brilliant dinner and watermelon margarita fountain – and you can cop your tickets here.
Not only will you get two tasty cocktails, but you’ll also be able to dine on three delicious tacos, with flavours including barbecue coconut prawns, citrus pork carnitas, spicy jackfruit and harissa tofu. Sounds pretty darn good to us.
You’ll find Ziggy Green at 1 Heddon Street, London, W1B 4BD. Nearest station is Piccadilly Circus.
7. Caldera, London Fields
Situated on the ever-cool Mare Street in Hackney, the ethos behind the independently-run Caldera is all about serving up traditional Mexican cuisine with an international twist. And with a name derived from the Spanish word for ‘cauldron’, it’s easy to see the thought-process behind putting the spotlight on less-familiar Mexican ingredients.
While there’s a whole host of delicious grub on the menu, the tacos are really well worth a punt. Flavours include melt-in-the-mouth Baja cod with chipotle aioli and ‘cochinita pibil’ – a braised pork dish that originates from the Yucatán – with crispy pork belly and pickled red onions. Veggies aren’t left out either – there’s a great taco loaded with romanesco broccoli, sliced aubergine and a spicy guajillo sauce.
When you’re in the restaurant, keep your eyes peeled for the skeleton mural on the wall. It was designed by renowned street artist ‘Skeleton Cardboard’, and is inspired by the famous ‘Day of the Dead’ festival in Mexico.
You’ll find Caldera at 143 Mare Street, London, E8 3FW. Nearest station is London Fields.
8. Club Mexicana, Carnaby Street
Inspired by the lively street food taquerias of both Mexico City and LA, the folks behind Club Mexicana have been rustling up tasty tacos since they first opened up in 2014 as a supper club. Ever since then, their banging vegan tacos have made waves across our beloved capital – so much so that they opened their first sit-down restaurant last May.
It’s pretty easy to see why. They’ve got five different tacos on the menu, with loaded nachos, burritos, refried beans and more. Our particular favourites include their signature Al Pastor – a delicious combination of plant-based shawarma straight from the spit, red onion, salsa verde and charred pineapple – and the Baja Tofish – an mouthwatering mix of tofu, avocado, slaw, pico de gallo and chipotle mayo.
They’ve also got a whole host of beers, frozen cocktails, wine and tequila to wash it down with. Trust us – you’ll be able to imagine yourself in Mexico in no time…
You’ll find Club Mexicana at Kingly Court, Kingly Street, Carnaby, London, W1B 5PW and at Seven Dials Market, 35 Earlham Street, London, WC2H 9LD. Nearest stations are Oxford Circus and Covent Garden.
9. Nine Lives, London Bridge
A beautiful, plant-draped, subterranean oasis, Nine Lives is one of London Bridge’s best kept secrets, and one of the prettiest bars in London. As well offering up classy cocktails, they also do some mean tacos – arguably some of the best tacos in London we say.
Legendary chef ‘El Tigre’ hails directly from Guadalajara, Mexico, so you know that the food here is going to be both authentic and bloody delicious. Drool-worthy fish tacos use seasonal ingredients, meaning you’ll get a beer-battered ‘catch of the day’ served up with chipotle mayo and pickled cabbage when you go for their signature Baja taco.
Other things on the menu include the Camarones – a taco packed full of king prawns, avocado, pineapple salsa and garlic and ginger – as well as a veggie Queso option. Yum, yum.
You’ll find Nine Lives at 8 Holyrood Street, London, SE1 2EL. Nearest station is London Bridge.
10. DF Tacos, Various Locations
DF Tacos is the Nando’s of Mexican Restaurants, and we honestly mean that as a compliment. Think speedy service, bottomless drinks and not having to wait for the bill after you’ve eaten (you do have to pay before, mind).
This is the kind of place where you can stuff your faces with chorizo nachos, pulled pork, cauli cheese and buttermilk chicken tacos and sip on some damn-fine (is this what DF stands for?) frozen margaritas.
There’s a huge gluten-free and vegan menu here too, and they’ve got all the Mexican cervezas you could ever want to wash down your tacos with. Finish up with some dirty churros – that’s churros with cinnamon sugar, coconut brittle, dulce de leche and a chocolate drizzle – and quite frankly you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in town.
You’ll find DF Tacos at various locations across London. You can find out more here.
11. Victory Mansion, Stoke Newington
This Asian-Mexican fusion joint is a unique but essential spot for tacos – or TA-KO as they call them – in the capital. Tacos here have a distinctly Asian twist, with flavours including char siu jackfruit with shiitake mushrooms, mango and pickled red onions and blackened river trout with smoked aubergine nahm prikh and lime labneh.
Perhaps the best thing about Victory Mansion however might be their bottomless brunch, where you not only get two hours’ worth of bottomless spritz, but bottomless tacos too. Yep – you read that right – bottomless tacos! Flavours have a distinctly ‘brunch-esque’ flavour, with viking smoked salmon, apple and radish slaw and charred broccoli with salted egg relish and spring onion on the menu.
Prices will cost 40 quid for two people, and the brunch itself runs on Saturdays and Sundays from 12–3pm. Best get yourself over to Stoke Newington then…
You’ll find Victory Mansion at 18 Stoke Newington High Street, London, N16 7PL. Nearest station is Rectory Road.
12. El Pastor, London Bridge, Soho and Kings Cross St Pancras
Rounding off this *ahem* taco-licious list of the best tacos in London is El Pastor, a small group of taquerias bringing a slice of Mexico all the way to London Town. Named after the mighty ‘Al Pastor’ – which is the favoured street food snack in Mexico City – this lively spot is one of the city’s best spots for not only tacos but also quesadillas, tostadas, tequila and mezcal. We told you this one would be lively…
All of the tacos here are made using heritage, non-GMO corn sourced directly from Mexico itself, and each tortilla is freshly made in their Bermondsey-based tortilleria every morning. You can’t really go wrong with the menu here, but the ancho-ajo spiced prawn taco with avocado, salsa verde fresca and caramelised onions is a particular favourite.
If you’re a veggie, you can also check out the taco stuffed full of confit mushrooms, crisp Oaxaca-style cheese, pumpkin seeds and chilli de arbol. We’re practically salivating at the thought…
You’ll find El Pastor at various locations across London. You can find out more here.