Tacos Takeover - Santo Remedio Review
Tacos seem to be this year's food trend... there's been a spate of openings over the year; El Pastor in Borough Market, Breddos Tacos in Clerkenwell and now Soho, Corazon in Soho again. Each branding themselves a taqueria focussing on the Mexican staple.
Santo Remedio, meaning Holy Remedy, labels itself as more than tacos. Serving authentic Mexican dishes from recipes passed down from the owner's grandmother and his time at some of the best restaurants in Mexico, the food aims to be the remedy to your hunger ailments, or so the story goes.
Starting out as a supper club alongside several pop-ups, Santa Remedio secured a residency at the street food market, Street Feast (similar to Smokestak), where it was praised for the food on offer. The first restaurant opened in Shoreditch last year and was quickly branded one of the best Mexican restaurants in London, before closing down unexpectedly.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the refurbishment of its new site, Santo Remedio relaunched in September with a revamped Mexican Cocina alongside a Tequila and Mezcal bar.
The Location
Taking up a corner spot on Tooley Street, Santo Remedio is just down the road from London Bridge station. The spot isn't really somewhere you'd be passing by unless you're a local to the area but we were heading there specifically to get our fix of authentic Mexican food, which I’m sure others will too.
The Space
On entering, you're instantly transported to Mexico... shoulder shimmying music playing in the background (particularly after a Margarita or two), an altares de muertos (Day of the Dead alter) displayed with all the flamboyant colours expected, and the scent of carnitas being prepared. So far so good.
Set over two floors, the ground floor is the open kitchen and bar leading through to a large dining room, whilst the upstairs is the Mezcal and Tequila bar.
The downstairs seating is cozy without being too cramped, so you don't feel like you're imposing on the table next to you, and the lighting is warm with candles on the table, easily fitting the bill as a date spot.
Wandering upstairs as recommended by the owner, you're presented with extra seating and the main attraction of the room, the mosaiced Mezcal and Tequila bar. Stocked with varieties of the more famous tequila and lesser known Mezcal, the bar stands out with the glittering tiles (taken from the previous site) and impressive collection of agave-based spirits. What's more, it's great to see Mezcal finally getting some attention.
Mezcal, for those that haven't heard of it, is an agave-based liquor that so far has been largely outshone by Tequila (which is actually a type of Mezcal, just from a specific variety of the agave fruit). Mezcal has more of a smokey flavour to it and is fast becoming one of the on-trend drinks of 2017 (watch this space).
At the time of our visit, there were only three cocktails on offer; a Margarita (tequila-based), Mezcalita (Mezcal-based in case you missed it), a mix of cucumber, pineapple, parsley and jalapeno, which was smokey and refreshing, and a Hibiscus Margarita on the Specials board. Once the upstairs is up and running I'm hoping to see some more Mezcal based cocktails on offer.
The Food
Ahead of visiting, the website stated a "Limited Menu" was on offer whilst the main kitchen is brought up to working order. This made food choices much easier on the night, though meant the full offering of traditional Mexican dishes is still in the works.
The menu is split into four sections; Botanas (Snacks), Tacos, Sides and Desserts. There's also a Specials board which is updated regularly.
Arriving slightly after two other members of the group, they couldn't bear waiting and had started off with the Guacamole and tortilla chips (£6) (to my dismay, they hadn't gone for the one topped with grasshoppers, but we can't all be so adventurous!).
The guacamole hit the spot, offering up a creamy, zesty start to the meal, with the tortilla chips topped up after being devoured almost instantly, which is a nice touch.
Once the rest of the group arrived and we'd tackled the tough menu debate that accompanies any group dinner, we dove in taco-first going for all four taco options on the menu; Pork Carnitas (£9), Chicken Pibil (£8.5), Grilled Cactus (£8) and Beef Barbacoa (£8.5), alongside the Baby Potato Flauta (£8.5).
We also dipped into the Specials menu, opting for the Soft Shell Crab Tacos (£11) and added a side of Elote (£4.5).
First up the tacos. Each served as a trio (apart from the Soft Shell Crab).
The Beef Barbacoa (pictured below), six hour slow-braised beef with ancho chile, was rich with a smokey sweetness from the chile and served on soft corn tacos. The beef pulled apart from the slow cooking and held up with the flavours of the chile without being overpowered, whilst the soft taco didn't crumble as I ate it showing they were fresh and the real deal. No complaints so far.
Missing out on the Pork Carnitas, I went for a Grilled Cactus taco which was surprisingly good and potentially the highlight of the meal. Served with black beans, crunchy grilled sweetcorn and Chihuahua Cheese, the combination of flavours and texture from the crunchy corn made each bite delicious.
The chicken pibil was cooked in Achiote (ground Annatto seeds used for red colouring and a sweet earthy flavour) and orange juice. Topped with pickled onions and coriander, they were warming with an earthy flavour from the Achiote and sweetness from the orange. The pickled onions added a sharpness to balance the sweetness of the chicken.
Next came the Elote. Grilled corn on the cob dusted with Pecorino cheese and served with a smokey mayonnaise. I've never had cheese on corn on the cob before, but it works! The corn was moreish, with the cheese adding a nutty flavour to it with the wooden sticks proving handy for avoiding making a mess. Next time I make corn on the cob, I'm adding cheese!
The Baby Potato Flautas, two crispy rolled tortillas served with Avocado and Tomatillo sauce and Queso Fresco, was another favourite of the evening. The avocado sauce was creamy and citrussy from the tomatillo, with the tortilla cracking satisfyingly under the knife and the cheese adding extra flavour to the dish. Tasty!
Lastly, the soft shell crab. Dished up as a portion of two (fair enough given the cost of crab) with a citrussy mayo on top, this is not a plate for knife and fork treatment. Squeeze the lime over, pick it up and try and not lose any crab! The crab was crunchy as you'd want it to be, with the sauce helping to avoid any dry mouthfuls, and the lime brought the taco together. Not quite the favourite taco of the night but a strong contender.
Dessert was a straightforward choice, Churros or Churros (£5.5). The sugar coated dough fingers were served with a Dulce de Leche dipping sauce. The churros themselves were warm and crunchy, without being too oily as you can sometimes get, and made a fitting end to the meal, though could probably have gone for more sauce and churros.
Verdict
Cost - £/££ (out of ££££)
Tacos really are taking over. But at Santo Remedio, it doesn't stop there. This is authentic Mexican food from people that clearly care about what they're serving.
The tacos are obviously a winner, but so are the other dishes. Not forgetting the Tequila and Mezcal bar, Santo Remedio would be great for any evening get together.
Downsides, well, as I mentioned, there's only a limited menu on offer at the moment so you're at the whimsy of what the chef wants to put on the Specials board. I was looking forward to trying out the Mole or Aguachile (Mexican ceviche) but unfortunately those weren't on the Specials board on our visit, so I'll just have to go back. But, if you're searching for Tacos and Tequila (or Mezcal!), book a table soon!
152 Tooley St,
London
SE1 2TU