Restaurant Guide: Authentic Mexican food at Lupita East, London

This tasty and colourful Mexican joint on Commercial Street is the East branch of Lupita’s flagship restaurant in Soho. This is where dinner guests can get a slice of real nachos (or Totopos which they are referred to which is essentially fried tortilla chips), quesadillas, tostadas and juicy burritos all served on colourful plates by friendly staff.

In true Mexican spirit, the atmosphere at Lupita East is cheerful, friendly and relaxed setting a nice tone for dinner guests who can expect to enjoy a slice of tasty authentic Mexican no-fuss food.

The menu is divided into nibbles, tacos, specialities and side dishes with many of the tapas-sized dishes being perfect to share.

My guest and I have the Taquitos which are three chicken rolls followed by Totopos (nachos) with guacamole and the tuna tostadas which is tuna tartare served on crispy corn tortillas with caramelised onion, avocado and chipotle and holy molé (moh-ley) they are good.

We also try the Quesadillas, two folded and grilled soft flour tortillas stuffed with roasted vegetables, melted Chihuahua cheese and pickled red onion which are both tasty and filling.

To try something outside of the usual ‘Mexcian food-box’ we decide to go for Frijoles Charros, a traditional dish named after a Mexican horseman or charros. Served in a bowl of pinto beans, chorizo and bacon topped with pork scratching this is a hot and hearty chilli stew.

A visit to any Mexican restaurant wouldn’t be complete without tucking into a burrito, preferably an authentic and juicy one, which is exactly what you get here. The grilled steak burrito meets all expectations with its tender grilled marinated steak served together with Mexican rice, Frijoles Charros, cheese, lettuce, onion and jalapenos all wrapped in a large flour tortilla.

To wash all of the delicious dishes down my guest goes for a Modela beer (also known as a Mexican ‘classy Corona’) whilst I stick to a classic G&T.

Dinner guests with a sweet tooth might be slightly disappointed with the lack of puddings on the menu, however, a shot glass of premium Patron tequila (which should, by the way, be sipped slowly) is a nice way of finishing up a spicy and perfect Mexican dinner.

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