Our Favourite Taco Restaurants In London

Why I Recommend: Believe everything you've heard. Homies on Donkeys is one of the best taco restaurants in London. The journey to Leytonstone is worth it, the no-cutlery rule is part of the joy, and Smokey's cooking has a clarity and originality that you don't find often.

Founded by husband and wife team Erik "Smokey" Bautista and Sandra Bello, both raised in Tijuana, Homies on Donkeys started as a market stall in Walthamstow and is now firmly planted in Leytonstone, where it has become one of London's most celebrated taquerias. The space is loud, pink, yellow, graffiti-covered and entirely unapologetic about it. There's a strict no-cutlery rule, which is correct. Smokey brings a scientific approach to flavour: expect layered, complex, deeply satisfying tacos built on thoughtful technique, from bavette carne asada reverse-seared and flame-grilled to the reimagined birria cooked in two parts and unified with clarified butter. 

Why I Recommend: You can come in for a cocktail and a couple of tacos at the bar, or you can go long and order the whole menu. Either way, the cooking is consistently excellent and the mezcal list gives you plenty to work through. Don't skip the aguachile.

Chef Yahir Gonzalez spent a decade at Aqua Nueva before returning to cook the Mexican food of his home region in Aguascalientes, and the result is one of Shoreditch's most accomplished restaurants. The 65-cover space has an open live-fire kitchen, a ceviche and aguachile bar, and one of the better mezcal selections in east London. The tortillas are made fresh daily using heritage corn, and the menu changes seasonally. Expect ox tongue tacos with cashew mole, lamb barbacoa with spiced chickpeas, and specials like duck quesadillas with smoked chipotle jelly. 

Why I Recommend: The commitment to authenticity here is real: this is regional Mexican cooking from someone who grew up with it, and the cocktails match the food in ambition. Taco Tuesday is a brilliant night out.

Guadalajara-born chef and founder Daniel Carrillo opened Corrochio's in 2021 on Dalston's Stoke Newington Road, and it has since become one of East London's most loved Mexican destinations. The hacienda-inspired main room: sandy floor tiles, handmade rugs, a giant Guadalupe statue found in an Oaxacan petrol station, creates an atmosphere that reviewers consistently describe as transporting. The menu rotates around regional dishes including huaraches, tostadas, tacos and tortas, alongside specials like Gobernador tacos packed with prawn and octopus. Downstairs, the Cantina runs late on Fridays and Saturdays with DJs and a more concise bar menu. The margaritas, particularly the Diabla and the smoky mezcalita, are among the best in the area.

Why I recommend: I think this is where taco authenticity is at its best in London, as this is one of the only places in the city where you can get true blue corn tacos. It's a sweet little spot tucked away in a market, but in my opinion, it brings the beautiful culture of Mexican dining to life in London in a big way.

Tucked into a market in Islington, Proper Tacos is one of the only places in London where you can eat true blue corn tortillas, made fresh on site and forming the base for a tightly edited menu of traditional fillings: suadero, citrusy cochinita pibil, carnitas, and a vegan chicharron made from slow-cooked mushrooms that's better than it has any right to be. Owner Teresa Lopez runs the kitchen with a philosophy of restraint and authenticity.

Why I Recommend: Mestizo has been doing this for over 20 years and hasn't slipped. It's the right place to go when you want something more substantial than tacos alone: a full Mexican meal with depth across the menu and a warm, welcoming atmosphere that makes it easy to stay for the evening.

A family-owned Camden fixture since 2004, Mestizo is one of London's most enduring authentic Mexican restaurants. The bold, dark-red interior with colourful decorations feels like a proper cantina, and the menu covers traditional Mexican gastronomy with real breadth: empanadas, enchiladas, gorditas and a solid taco selection with fillings including pork pibil and black corn mushrooms. The gluten-free options are genuinely well-done, and the margarita list has been refined over two decades of practice.

Why I Recommend: Sonora is the benchmark. The flour tortillas are unlike anything else in London: thin, slightly charred, packed with flavour before a single filling goes in. If you're bringing a taco sceptic, this is where you take them. Plan your entire day around it if you have to.

The argument for Sonora Taqueria being the best taco spot in London is a short one: the flour tortillas. Made from wheat flour and pork fat (or butter for vegetarians), they are almost silken in texture, slightly charred, and so good they have become the benchmark by which other tortillas in this city are judged. Founded by Michelle Salazar de la Rocha and Sam Napier, Sonora champions Northern Mexican tradition: carne asada, smoky adobada, slow-cooked barbacoa, across a short, tight menu where everything is excellent and nothing is wasted. 

Why I Recommend:Cavita is the restaurant I take people to when I want to show off London's Mexican scene. It's elevated without being precious, the staff genuinely know the menu inside out, and the spiced watermelon margarita is one of the most beautiful drinks in Marylebone. 

Named Time Out's best Mexican restaurant in London in 2025, Cavita is the project of Mexico City-born chef Adriana Cavita, who trained at Pujol and El Bulli before opening this Fitzrovia restaurant in 2022. The space is gorgeous: coral-painted exposed brick, trailing greenery, and an open kitchen at its heart. But what makes it worth the trip is the food. Expect elevated street food rooted in tradition: hamachi tostadas, wood-fired whole octopus to share, and the must-order quesabirrias, which are slow-braised beef shin in smoky adobo with melted cheese, served with consomme for dipping.

Why I Recommend: Some places earn their longevity, and Cafe Pacifico is one of them. It's not the most cutting-edge taco on this list, but when you're in Covent Garden and you want a proper margarita and a satisfying plate of food without any fuss, this is where you go. It's been doing its thing for over 40 years for a reason.

A genuine London institution, Cafe Pacifico has been slinging margaritas and tacos in Covent Garden since 1983, and it's still one of the most fun places to eat in the area. The multi-coloured dining room, skull motifs, and low golden light don't pretend to be anything other than what they are: a lively, unpretentious space built for groups who want to eat well and drink well. The taco fillings cover the classics, including pulled pork, Baja-style seabass, and roasted vegetables.

Why I Recommend: Taco Tuesday at temper is one of those London things that deserves to be more famous than it is. The quality-to-price ratio is genuinely exceptional: you're getting wood-fire cooking for a fiver a round. Go with a group, order aggressively, and don't skip the burnt ends.

temper Soho's ground-floor taco bar is where you want to be for a quick fix: compact, lively and centred around a wood-fired grill and clay oven that gives everything a proper smoky backbone. The full restaurant below is a carnivore's dream, but the tacos upstairs are the real draw. Come on Taco Tuesdays for £5 portions across fillings like smoked brisket, drunken goat's cheese and yellowfin tuna tostadas, with £5 Margaritas to match. 

Why I Recommend: I don't mind a celebrity-backed restaurant when the food genuinely delivers, and this one does. The Baja fish taco is the reason to come: the batter is light, the fish is quality, and the slaw is exactly right. Order one immediately, and then order another.

Yes, it's a celebrity restaurant. No, that doesn't mean it's coasting. The Danny Trejo-backed Notting Hill outpost brings a proper West Coast taco sensibility to London, with the focus squarely on flour tortillas loaded with quality fillings. The beer-battered Baja fish taco in particular is one of the best of its kind in the city: crisp, fresh and generously filled. The drinks are a significant part of the draw too, with a strong agave-forward cocktail list and a buzzy, colourful space to work through it in.

If you're navigating the crowds around Victoria Station, CDMX Tacos is one of the more flavour-packed options inside Market Halls Victoria. The setting - an expansive, multi-kitchen food hall - means you get a buzzy, social atmosphere with plenty of choice, while CDMX keeps things focused with punchy tacos and quick service.

Ideal for a casual bite before a train or a low-key meet-up, it's a no-fuss spot that delivers a taste of Mexico City right in central London. Its popular dishes include al pastor (marinated pork), asada (grilled beef), and nopal (grilled cactus).

If you're looking for tasty tacos with views of the city, head on up to Bar Arriba. High above the streets of Olympia, this place serves up the taste of Mexico in the heart of West London.

The tortillas here are teaming with fillings. We're talking everything from marinated pork shoulder, slow-cooked British grass-fed beef and grilled chicken to achiote and arbol marinated octopus, and braised ancho foraged mushrooms.

Leicester Square Kitchen serves a sizzling fusion of modern Mexican and Peruvian small plates. Decked out in black and white marble tables, exposed columns, as well as bright metro tiles against dark brick walls, this buzzy venue bridges authenticity and modern flair with every bite. From the masterminds behind May Fair Kitchen and Monmouth Kitchen, this all-day spot mixes spicy and crisp flavours in a fresh, innovative way. With a choice of soft and hard tacos, filled with everything from dry-rubbed short rib to beef tartare, their Tuesday Taco & Margarita experience makes it one of the best places in London to eat tacos. 

Why I Recommend: If budget isn't a barrier and you want to understand what Mexican cuisine can do in the hands of a truly exceptional chef working at the intersection of two food cultures, KOL is the answer. It shouldn't work as well as it does, and yet it works perfectly.

Chef Santiago Lastra's Michelin-starred restaurant is doing something genuinely great: Mexican technique applied almost entirely to British ingredients. Deer tartare tacos, local seaweed mole, agave spirits treated with the reverence of fine wine. This is an overwhelming commitment that produces food you won't find anywhere else in the city. Book well ahead, expect to spend accordingly, and order everything.

For some of the most sought-after tacos in London, El Pastor delivers. Inspired by Mexico City's taqueria culture, the menu is built around its in-house tortilleria, where heirloom corn is nixtamalized and pressed fresh daily, forming the base for deeply flavourful tacos.

Standouts include the iconic al pastor - 24-hour marinated pork with grilled pineapple - as well as habanero-braised brisket and inventive veggie options. Set within the buzz of Borough Market, it's a great spot serving refreshing margaritas alongside its tempting food menu. 

Why I recommend: I've been to Santo Remedio with friends, my husband, and work colleagues, and it hits the spot each time. The vibrant interiors (moody with a candle when you need it) are always equally matched with the menu, and I consistently order their fish tacos, because the morita mayonnaise and slaw are always a perfect companion to the beer-battered fish.

Home to some of the best tacos in London, Santo Remedio is the Mexican restaurant that's bringing an authentic taste to London Bridge. Run by Edson Diaz-Fuentes and his wife Natalie, this hotspot is a haven for authentic Mexican cuisine inspired by the lively cantinas and mezcalerias of Mexico City. From street food staples to larger indulgent plates, their menu celebrates the vast regional diversity in ingredients and cooking techniques.

Think beer-battered Baja fish tacos with Morita mayo and jalapeno-cucumber slaw, pork belly tacos with chicharron and tomato salsa, as well as braised beef barbacoa tacos with pasilla and pickled radish. A flavourful journey through Mexican flavours, this South London gem boasts vibrant interiors adorned with Mexican artisan goods, complemented by a bar that mixes a Margarita like no other. There's also a restaurant in Marylebone if you're that way instead.

Taca Taco has earned cult status among those chasing the best tacos in London, bringing a slice of California cool to south east London with serious flavour credentials.

Founded by Thorne after a deep dive into the taquerias of LA and San Francisco's Mission District, it's all about West Coast-inspired cooking, like six-hour slow-cooked beef birria, crispy quesatacos and breakfast burritos that have built a loyal following. Now firmly rooted on Rye Lane too (with its original home in Deptford Market Yard), it's a great spot where quality ingredients and big, addictive flavours keep taco fans coming back for more.

Taquiza is a Peckham taco spot that doesn't hold back, slinging out generously filled creations from its tucked-away home beneath the railway arches. If you're into spicy margaritas just as much as you are flavour-packed food, then this is the place for you.

Tacos are the main event here, loaded with everything from slow-cooked meats to tasty vegetarian fillings, all lifted by punchy house salsas. Be warned, though - you might get a little messy (but isn't that the best bit?)

Guacamoles is a Peckham taco spot with real soul, tucked into the buzz of Rye Lane Market and serving up some of the most authentic bites in south London.

Founded by Manolo de la Torre, aka Taco Manny, it's all about honouring tradition through hand-pressed tortillas and deeply flavourful fillings, from rich birria slow-cooked with a blend of 17 spices to tender carnitas and melt-in-the-mouth ox tongue. Every taco feels considered and generous, elevated by the care behind the cooking and the punch of proper Mexican technique.

The Tacover Taco Tequila Festival is not so much of a restaurant as it is Europe's largest Mexican food and drink festival. We're talking wall to wall tacos with over 40 vendors descending on Richmond Athletic Ground.

On top of the delicious dishes, there's mariachi music, roaming luchadores, tortilla slapping and hot taco challenges. Grab your ticket to a fiesta of feasting from just £1.10 for kids and £8.80 for adults.