Mestizo

I've been to Mestizo a few times on different occasions.
To the main restaurant to celebrate a friends Birthday, which it was a fun experience. The food was nice and very tasty. I had Enchiladas de Mole, which is the a Spicy Chocolate sauce with tortillas filled with chicken. Some friends had tacos trays, and another one Pozole. we tried a bit of everything and the food was to our satisfaction. The only downside for us it was probably that the food took a long time to arrive but it was a nice atmosphere with typical Mexican music in the background.... and just before having our dessert, the staff came with a slice of cake, a sombrero and a Tequila shot for my friend, all of this with a nice Mexican song... all eyes were on my friend which made her feel special!! Nice touch.

* Second visit was to the Sunday Brunch...  again it was a great experience. There was a big selection of dishes and you can also have tacos made to order... all of this included nice flavored water and also a selection of desserts. We ate so much that we couldn't move at the end. If you have a big appetite then is worth the £20... All you can eat!

* When we was at the Sunday brunch, the waiter mentioned the Thursdays taco nights... So we though we give it a try. It's on the downstairs bar, tacos, beer and great music. There is a good selection of tacos to eat from, you can buy buckets of beers and dance the night away until after midnight! A must try!

6 of us popped in here on a Thursdsy night intending to take advantage of the happy hour and to eat. First we were told only corona beer. This only changed when we let it be known we might go elsewhere. I got the distinct impression that they didn't want to save the full advertised range of beer, money saving. Then we were hassled for a food order and waited and waited for our drinks and continued to be hassled for a food order. After about 10 minutes and no sign of drinks we gave up and left. Shame as I've always enjoyed this place. If this is their new style of customer service they need to have a re think!

I went here for Sunday lunch a few months ago as they do an all you can eat lunch, with as much wine and beer as you like, and that seemed like a good idea.  It wasn't.  The food was ok - though the vegetarian offerings were more minimal than the website suggested - but the main issue was that the service was pretty surly, we had the strong impression that they resented us for not being Mexican and we got significantly worse service than anyone else there.

I think I had high expectations as I found the food curiously disappointing. It was tasty but nothing more. I had the vaunted chocolaty chicken Mole Poblano which was OK but nothing to write home about. The Molcajete “hotpot” specials looked interesting so may give them a try if I go back. Huge range of tequila and great margarita (as it should be).
Staff slightly abrupt but they managed to smile once or twice.
Ambience was a bit cool – high ceiling doesn’t help – but it was fairly empty when I went.

What else do you expect from a 3* restaurant????

fantastic value, fantastic food, fabulous service and staff. Simply love it

Been here twice for weekday lunches and don't have any complaints. The cheaper lunch set is quite substantial in itself and very very tasty. There's even a credit crunch drink special where you can get a soft drink for £1. Me, I've opted for Pacifico beer each time I've come. It tastes like Sol and Corona (aka the girly beers) for those of you taking notes.

Service has been so-so. Not surly but not terribly friendly either.

Still, the food is good, and the after-work tequila club looks tempting, so I'll be back.

I was not disappointed by the service, and the food was great for what it was.

I think its definitely the best Mexican in town,

8 of us had food, which was fine. However, the service was just normal, and we don't believe was worthy of the 12.5% tip. We shortened the bill (inc tip) from £216 to £210, and were met with a lot of anger from the staff.

They explained that they live off the tips, and that the tips get split evenly across the whole staff - waiting staff, chefs etc.

I paid for the meal. I do not pay the staff. If the cost of the meal cannot cover the costs of the food and the staff, then the prices need to be higher. If I believe that if exceptional service from my waiter/waitress has been given, then I will tip accordingly. In my opinion, the service was fine, nothing to write home about. I tipped accordingly.

Mestizo waiting staff - if you are not happy at the way that your tips are being distributed, then go and work somewhere else. I do not believe that tips should ever supplement one's income just to live - that is why we have a minimum working wage in place.

A nice evening was ruined by the rude waiting staff. It even says on the menu that the 12.5% tip is discretionary. They tried to tell us it was mandatory.

This is real Mexican food. Pricey, but nonetheless real, delicious, Mexican food. I recommend it for newcomers to the cuisine. It's fine dining and they have a wide range of tequilla to accompany your meal. Enjoy!

Mestizo serves a buffet style brunch on Sundays and after much deliberation over the steep £20.00 per person price tag, we decided to give it a go. The atmosphere was festive and there was a certain buzz present which even made us feel like we were in Mexico... or was this the fact that the air-conditioning system was turned up to the absolute maximum - it felt like we were being cooked next to the made to order tacos and quesadillas. Eating in restaurant conditions of tropical proportions makes for uncomfortable dining to say the least. Yes, it is cold outside yet this should not be an excuse to make your diners feel as if they are part of the buffet hot section. The food was mediocre (to say the least) and the best items on the table were the shop-bought salsa verde and Mexican flan. This brunch is certainly not worth £20 per person, especially not when the surroundings were uncomfortable. This was certainly not the same Mestizo who promotes themselves as “bringing to London the best that Mexican food has to offer”. The service however, was relaxed and sociable.

I went here for the Sunday brunch today.

There's some quite negative comments about service/attitude below but that's certainly not the experience I had. Maybe it was different as the brunch is buffet based so we weren't getting served at our table, but I'd never had some of the food on offer before so needed some help. The guy on the soup / taco / fajita counter was happy to advise, he brought our food over to the table rather than make us wait at the counter, and made several personal recommendations as to what I should have next.

The food - my experience of Mexican is burritos, fajitas and tacos so there was a lot of stuff here I hadn't had before and its all great. Probably the best was spinach enchilada, the black beans, or the courgette cake but I'd have it all again. And great value £19.99 per head for as much food as you want plus one beer or glass of wine, and unlimited soft drinks.

On recommendation, and because it's close to a client's, I ventured, full of expectation, down the bleak hinterland of lower Hampstead Rd to find this restaurant. As I neared Mestizo, I saw a group of children in a nearby street throw a glass bottle into the busy road and then wait, watching for a blowout. "Mmm... " I thought. "Nice neighbourhood." This place must be great to get people to schlepp up here.

So, it turned out that although the food was good, it wasn't that good, and the service wasn't that bad - it was really bad.

Let's start with the food. The quesadillas had a strangely soft and spongy texture, unlike the folded corn or wheat tortilla versions you'd probably be used to. In one of them, the mashed chicken filling was cold. Not lukewarm - cold. It was a first date, I didn't want to reveal myself as the fussy sod I am, so let it slide. Mistake #1. These soft quesadumplings were surprisingly filling, it was pretty late, so we opted to share a main - the signature Molcajete.

We explained to the waiter that we were pretty full and would just share a single main course. It's more-or-less a tapas joint, anyway, so this is comme il faut. When it arrived, a half-hour later, we'd already watched, enviously, the dish brought to other tables - the large, deep stone bowl and contents receiving a warm welcome on their arrival.

The reason for the half-hour wait was that the waiter, whose English was just around beginner's level, had misunderstood what we said and thought that the quesadillas were enough. Nobody, during our half-hour wait, had thought to drop by and say "would you like something else" or "everything OK?" Mildly embarrassed on discovering his mistake, the waiter ordered the dish and it arrived within five minutes.

Did the waiter say "oh, I'm really sorry - let me get you a drink. What would you like?" You guessed it, dear reader, he didn't. We let that slide, too, both of us too eager to appear easygoing. We ate the Molcajete, but the slightly sour taste left by the nonchalant waiter had, by this time, somewhat spoiled the food itself. A note, when ordering the dish. The stone bowl is mostly made of stone, and the part that contains food is around 2/3 of a dessert-spoon deep. So, don't be disappointed.

The bill eventually arrived. This was also delayed because someone else, who'd not been charged for their juice or something, had to be hauled back from the kerb to pay. For a glass of cranberry juice, a mixed fruit cocktail, two glasses of wine, four quesadillas and a bowl of stew, we paid £46. I was somewhat surprised to see we'd been charged for the extra tortillas we'd needed for the Molcajete, but I realised that trying to explain why this wasn't so appropriate, in light of the rest of our dining experience, would be an utter waste of time.

I'd recommend this place for diners who:

a) are really too drunk to care
b) are really too rich " "
c) are really too Spanish to be misunderstood when ordering food.

Try Wahaca. A friend of mine said that it's not as "authentic" but you'll get fed on time, I suspect and, chances are, your waiter may look you in the eye when he's taking your order.

With respect to transparency, I must declare my love of Mexican food. It is my desert island cuisine and I could eat it every day. The location of this place is a honey trap on the way home from work, so I should wish to eat there at least once a week.... So, to Mestizo... Hmm...

The food is good. I am told by more knowledgable and travelled folk that it is reasonably authentic, and the staff all appear to be of Hispanic descent. There is a good variety of Mex dishes - all your usual stuff, together with some fun sharing platters.

The restuarant is lacking atmosphere, but it is nice and bright and they can seat quite a few people for its unusual location on Hampstead Road. It is actually split over two floors (not that you would know that from the street).

So, I should love it, right?

Problem is, to get to my beloved tacos and HUGE frozen margi I have to navigate a long wide load of attitude. You think they would be thankful for people paying well over the odds for a bean and cheese quesadilla, however it always seems to come with a side of surly.

By all means try it out, but I warn you that it isn't the warmest reception whatever formation you arrive in (I've been 6+ times - work events, dinner dates, to watch the World Cup for their Mex festival).

There is a severe lack of good Mexican restaurants in London, so they could easily vie for the prize, but instead they seem to be doing their best to turn people away. Gutted.

One word: Yum!

And the service is super friendly. Slight minuses: cocktails are a mixed bag, the toilets could be cleaner and the Sunday buffet is mixed depending on the day. I don't love the decor. But who cares, when the food is this great?

Everything else is a plus. The food is unparalled for Mexican cuisine in London. We love that ingredients are available to purchase to make food at home. I love the all-you-can-drink horchata for the Sunday buffet, as well as the odd "chilli pepper month" or "margarita month" that they host, with special menus.

My only complaint is having to wear elastic-waisted trousers to accomodate the expansion after gorging myself on the food.

Hands down the best Mexican style food in London. Fresh, tasty and so many dishes to choose from, love the taco tray and their slow roasted pork reminds me what I love about arepas. Very nice deco and friendly service.

Proper Latin comfort food and genuine Mexican favourites are difficult to pin down in London while it's overshadowed by nouvelle cuisine and fancier options. So Mestizo's is a little oasis of guacamole and authentic dishes such as the (literally) sizzling hot molcajete.

As well as top notch food and service they also pride themselves of having the best tequila in town. So in turn there frozen margaritas are frikkin lethal...infact I blacked out most of the meal after a jug and memories of how yummy it all was came sifting back afterwards.

Mos def a good all rounder if you're a fan of Latin grub.

Oh wow! I am usually sparing with my allocation of 5 stars, but if I had a sixth star to give, it would be all Mesizo's.

In an unassuming location just a few moments away from Euston, I knew I was in for a treat the moment I stepped in the door. Not only were the hostesses and servers SO FRIENDLY, but they were also Mexican! When asking one of our servers about the spice level of a dish before ordering (is it flaming hot? will it make us cry?) she laughed and said, "well, I'm Mexican so I think it's all relative..." SCORE!

After a particularly challenging work week, I decided to go all out and order a Cadillac Margarita with Patron Silver and I have to say that it was the most amazing margarita I've had outside of Mexico or Southern California. Mestizo boasts 150 different varieties of tequila and I'll definitely be back to sample some more.

The starter of guacamole was a delight - perfectly seasoned with plenty of chips. My carnitas tacos melted in my mouth and the chicken mole that my partner had was equally delicious.

For dessert, I decided to go with buñuelos, a crispy fried dough with cinnamon and caramel sauce...again something I haven't seen outside of Mexico and my home state. As if they were trying to outdo themselves, my dessert arrived and was a literal symphony of one fantastic flavor after the next. The whole thing was perfect.

I will come back to Mestizo again and again and couldn't recommend it highly enough! I think my stomach is still smiling!

This must be the closest so far to real Mexican food. The staff is mainly from latin-america and the food is quite good. I would recommend they go for real handmade tortillas and the place would be perfect. Go on a Thursday and stay after your meal to dance and have a good time at their function room. The staff and owners are very friendly.

really mexican food¡¡¡ very tasty ..the size of the dishes are small but its ok because of that you ask for more.. and eat exquisite food!

go and try it

I’m a big fan of authentic Mexican food, and it was a great relief to find that there was somewhere else to go after El Mercado in Stoke Newington revised its menu to suit people more used to TexMex.

TexMex is fine for lunch, but if I’m going for dinner I’d prefer to have a proper meal. Mestizo usually delivers on this level for me.

While cuitlacoche/huitlacoche (corn fungus) is dissapointingly not on the menu, a lot of good Mole’s (sauces) are, and the starters are quite good too.

I can recommend the Sopa de Tortilla as a starter, which is basically a sour tomato soup served with cream and avocado with strips of tortilla. You mix it together bit by bit and eat. Delicious. The soft tacos as a starter are quite nice and there are a variety of fillings available.

Molcajete is probably the principle dish on the menu, but I’ve not tried it yet (which looks to be very popular), but I’d definitely recommend the Mole Poblano, succulent chicken breast (boiled I think) smothered in a chocolate mole, with rice and refried beans. I have had an issue with the Mole Poblano on occasion where the standard sometimes slips and the chicken breast has been overcooked and the mole not as tasty/spicy as normal.
The Mole Verde is quite tasty, but not fantastic.

The desserts are very good, the Crepas de Cajeta seem to be actually made with arequipe/dulce de leche not caramel (which is quite a big bonus for me).

They also offer a Sunday brunch menu which I’ve not yet tried, but it does include pericos aka huevos a la Mexicana which are a favourite of mine (basically scrambled eggs with spring onions, tomato, onion and chile).

The location is a bit out of the way, but the restaurant itself is quite contemporary looking and modern, the service is usually decent, but not standout and sometimes a bit unfriendly.

The great thing about Mestizo is the diversity of food available, I highly recommend this restaurant and indeed, I look forward to experimenting with new flavours on my future visits here.

The only reason that I don’t give this place 5 stars is that it offers no dishes with cuitlacoche/huitlacoche (a favourite of mine) and the quality of food and service has been known to be a bit inconsistent.

Pros
- diverse and authentic food
- good cocktails
- nicely designed restaurant (recently renovated)

Cons
- service can be a bit inconsistent
- food can be inconsistent
- bit out of the way