London has always been lacking in good Mexican restaurants. I don’t really know why, given it seems to excel in every other kind of cuisine; perhaps it’s because Mexican chefs who want to try their luck elsewhere tend to go to the US and no further afield. But there are glimmers of hope. Tommi Miers’ estimable Wahaca has established itself (especially in its new Paddington location) as thoroughly dependable mid-market stuff, and then the likes of El Pastor, Metizo and the brilliantly named Homies on Donkies all have their fans. But if you’re after something really exceptional, everyone knows where you have to head, and that’s one of the Santo Remedio restaurants.
Larry and I visited the London Bridge establishment a couple of years ago. It was a fine, if boozy evening; we took no wine whatsoever, but instead tried several sublime cocktails, and the food was utterly wonderful. I therefore had high hopes for the group’s latest opening, on Marylebone’s Thayer Street. The area is packed full of excellent places to eat, but I was quietly confident that Santo Remedio’s mixture of spice, sass and salsa was going to distinguish it in a very crowded market.
I need not have worried for a moment. From the opening, when a couple of pineapple margaritas, matched with a healthy portion of guacamole and crisps, flew onto our table, as if by magic, it was absolutely clear that we were in the most capable of hands, thanks to the excellent owners, Natalie Feary and Edison Diaz-Fuentes; they understand not only the intricate mechanics of Mexican food (and cocktails), but how to make an eclectic experience really fun for diners.
A smorgasbord of interesting, delicious dishes appeared in front of us during the couple of hours that we were there (highlights: sublime pork belly tacos, tuna tostados and really very fine sea bass ceviche), and were matched more than ably with cocktails that did everything imaginable with mezcal and tequila, to divine effect. In fact, the only time that the otherwise impeccable quality dipped even slightly was with an underwhelming duck carnitas, which made us wish we’d ordered the venison or lamb shank instead. Apart from this one blemish, everything else was of sky-high quality.
At the end, the charming Natalie came over to say hello. It just so happened that we’d been at university together and had a close mutual friend in common, so what could have been a brief and business-focused chat soon turned into a warm exercise in reminiscing. Even as I manfully failed to resist a tequila-based espresso martini, which sent me out into the Marylebone night air with a song in my heart and fire in my head, I was able to say, when she asked how much we’d enjoyed ourselves, that it was a fitting end to a fine year’s dining. And it undoubtedly, indubitably was, too.
Santo Remedio Casona & Cantina, 13-14 Thayer Street. W1U 3JR, Marylebone, London. For more information, and for bookings, please visit www.santoremedio.co.uk.
