Mezcal Cantina & Restaurant in Hackney

Wow !! Didn’t expect this Lucky enough to have been to Mexico City and this food is absolutely incredible The subtle and sometimes not so subtle seasoning is amazing So so good As for the drinks The margaritas and mezcal are superb Thank you so much Gemma and Cesar 👍👍

Sure it was Friday night and heaving, but the service was especially slow. We ordered the nachos, the first dish was served cold, the cheese was hard not melted, we politely asked for another serving, but the waiter was reluctant, saying that the restaurant is busy, insisting that they’re working as fast as possible, in quite an argumentative manner might I add. We diffused, asked for another serving and sent it back. The second serving of nachos was marginally better, but still below average. ...and then the tacos came out. They were dry, and poorly assembled crumbling as you picked them up. All I would say is avoid the fish and prawn tacos. When we asked for the bill, another server asked us how our food was, we politely explained, the server relayed to the kitchen, and came back with the bill, with nothing discounted, she just apologised for our experience. Grossly unimpressed. Won’t be going back.

Great authentic Mexican food in Dalston, they service is very good and their service is very good too Prices are pretty fair

Lovely Mexican food and amazing service - the prices are very good too as well as the vine and ambiance I will go again

Visité mezcal con amigos y estuvimos muy contentos con el gran ambiente y la música en el lugar, sin embargo, esperamos más de una hora para nuestra comida y finalmente nos dijeron que nuestro pedido se había perdido. Luego nos dijeron que la cocina se había quedado sin ciertos ingredientes (gambas) que tenían que comprar, de ahí la espera, no es realmente lo que le dirías a un invitado. Los tacos que llegaron fueron absolutamente terribles, de hecho no se podía llamar a nuestros rellenos de tacos 'langostinos' para ser sincero. El arroz que pedimos a un lado era muy probablemente el arroz dorado dorado del tío Ben. Lamentablemente, no nos ofrecieron nada para compensar nuestra comida bastante triste, pero literalmente tuvimos que pedir una ronda gratis de tequila. . . cena extremadamente decepcionante, no volveré aquí.

He estado en varios restaurantes mexicanos en Londres y este es fácilmente el peor. Éramos una compañía de 7 y cenamos aquí fuera. El servicio fue extremadamente pobre. Faltaban cubiertos, vasos y platos, mientras que el personal tardó en reemplazarlos y traer comida. También estaban ansiosos por sacar nuestros platos mientras esperábamos que llegara más comida, lo que resultó en más espera ya que algunas personas no tenían los medios para comer su comida. . . El sabor de la comida no era algo especial. Durante toda la noche, la puerta estuvo abierta de par en par y hacía frío mientras entraba humo de la gente que fumaba en la calle.

Decidí darle una oportunidad a este lugar ya que habíamos estado en el restaurante mexicano de al lado y pensé que estaba bien, pero no era sorprendente (y a pesar de la oferta de 2 tacos, en realidad resultó mucho más caro de lo que imaginas) Llegamos a las 5 a tiempo para la feliz (2) hora (s) y nos quedamos atrapados en dos por una margaritas mientras esperábamos a un amigo, que no apareció hasta las siete menos cuarto, así que estábamos bastante destrozados cuando llegamos pedir comida, pero mantengo mi conclusión de que la comida era digna de crio, fácilmente la mejor comida mexicana que he probado en Londres. Las porciones eran geniales y me impresionó especialmente el uso de (un montón de) pequeños langostinos locales en los tacos en lugar de un par de grandes rebozados, que, aunque es más probable que se usen dentro de la escupida distancia del golfo de México, no ' Realmente aparece fresco aquí, así que siempre termina siendo un poco decepcionante porque no es un taco de camarones americano. Honestamente, tomaría la versión 'montones de pequeños camarones' sobre eso cualquier día. Super bonito. Mi segundo favorito fueron los tacos de cactus, que creo que usaban cactus en escabeche, eran un poco demasiado para el gusto de mi novia, pero los amaba. La camarera fue súper amable, y notó que era el cumpleaños de mi novia y nos trajo chupitos gratis e hizo todo el "cumpleaños del año, así que puedes ponerte estos sombreros", lo cual fue divertido y excelente. Definitivamente volveremos! Por cierto, este lugar ha vuelto a Kingsland Road, Dalston, pero todavía no parece haber una página.

He estado aquí tantas veces y me encanta - el personal es muy amable y hace lo imposible para asegurarse de que todo sea maravilloso - las margaritas son increíbles, pueden hacerte una margarita de tamarindo (no estoy seguro si siempre está en el menú) que es tan bueno.Toda la comida se prepara a pedido, deliciosos ingredientes frescos y muchos platos vegetarianos. Algunos de los mejores tacos que he tenido. Los tacos jalapeños son tan buenos! ! Precios razonables y porciones realmente decentes.Recomendaría para cualquier persona, en cualquier momento, siempre <3

El restaurante está ubicado en Church Street, a pocos metros de Stoke Newington High Street, solía visitarlos cuando estaban en Dalston y esta vez queríamos recorrer el nuevo lugar.La comida es sin duda la mejor comida mexicana en el norte de Londres, el personal es increíble, María te hace sentir como si estuvieras en una cantina en el centro de México, su humildad y belleza hacen que la comida sea aún más sabrosa.César y su esposa son los mejores anfitriones que puede tener en toda la zona de Church Street; realmente agradables y acogedores lo hacen sentir como en casa, y para hablar sobre los cócteles, cree que tomará uno y terminará tomando 4, excelente ! !Muy recomendable

Great food with really wonderful subtle flavours. The nachos are the best we have ever tasted. Defiant recommend and it will be a regular for us now.

The food here is close to inedible. Cardboard tasting corn tacos....disinfectant tasting black beans, tasteless rice and grey, over cooked fish in a sea sponge batter. I'm not exaggerating. I'd rather go hungry than put this garbage into my body.

Soy un apasionado de la comida mexicana. Pasado este restaurante después de conducir varias veces, decidí darle una oportunidad.Había algunas mesas disponibles en un sábado por la noche, así que creo que no es esencial.Pedimos unos Nachos para compartir, y los tacos y las enchiladas rojas como platos principales. Normalmente, los nachos no dura demasiado tiempo, pero después de 25 minutos, todavía estábamos esperando algo de comida. Nuestra sorpresa fue que todos los platos llegaron al mismo tiempo. En todos los restaurantes mexicanos, te llevas los nachos, y luego los platos principales. Las mesas son muy pequeñas, así que no tuvimos ningún espacio en la mesa. Aunque los tacos no eran picantes, fueron tan caliente!La música es bastante ruidoso, pero eso no era un problema, ya que las canciones eran geniales!Fue muy difícil pedir nuevas bebidas o la factura, ya que el personal no en el cliente, así que tienes que estar gritando cuando tienes tu oportunidad.En general, fue una gran cena y sin duda volveremos, ya que este ha sido uno de los mejores que he probado en comida mexicana en Londres.

The service here was fine, the food was meagre and not worth the visit. Over priced for what we got.

This was hands down the worst Mexican food i’ve ever had. My order came wrong twice and the food we did receive was soggy, bland and drastically overpriced. Even the guacamole was terrible- it wasn’t even mashed!? Also there was a whole huge red chilli in the burrito. The ingredients were of such poor quality. Our orders never came correctly. The restaurant didn’t respond when I tried to call them and I really resent paying anything for it.

This is the worst takeaway I've ever had. If anyone thinks that 12.70 is an appropriate amount to pay for 3 tiny corn tortillas and a tupperware of sloppy roast veg (this apparently is a 'fajita')then this is your place. Not only that, but after a complaint and a reorder, the exact same bland and incomplete order arrived. Appalling. Genuinely the worst takeaway i have ever had in my entire life.

Fuimos en un jueves por la noche, el lugar era tranquilo, el servicio era lento hasta inexistente, y la comida era. . . Bien, francamente,). Y cara.) Sin sabor, ingredientes baratos, mal cocinada, y en el caso de las enchiladas verdes parecían haber sido superficial? ! No es que no me importa, pero sospecho que realmente no puedo cocinar. Sosa y guacamole insípido. Tienda de comprar barato y tortillas (la misma que tenemos en casa). Relleno que hubiera sido completamente sin sabor de no haber sido por el insoportable sabor de aceite. Pero el personal era agradable, y así me siento mal por ellos, pero aún así, no cobran lo que hacen por esas cosas.

Great atmosphere where you get to forget for a night that you are in London! We loved the cocktails made by Elisabeth who is the lovely owner of this little and cozy mexican bar and restaurant! We will definitely come back to try the rest of the delicious looking cocktail, food menu and mezcal of course! :)

Dropped in to get out of the cold and was welcomed like a regular. Amazing tequilas the staff were very friendly and made me feel so welcomed.

Love this place Is like a little piece of México excelent food excelent service the people who work there aré so friendly and the owner aré always there with a big smile i will come back for sure amazings parties

Excellent Authentic Mexican Restaurant, Open till late, mojitos, margaritas, Draught beer and Mexican bottled beers, great food, tacos, enchiladas, Pozole

Teníamos tacos que nos pudiera recoger ya que estaban mojadas. Nuestro ceviche era muy sosa, y el otro entrante que tuvimos era igual de malo. Dijo que las bebidas eran realmente buenos. El servicio era amable, aunque no podía conseguir ese orden de agua a...

Fui con mi esposa a cenar y segunda visita una semana más tarde, esta es nuestra nueva línea regular mexicano. ! Y tengo que decir que es el mejor con diferencia el auténtico sabor! Viniendo de los Mexicanos viviendo en el REINO UNIDO. Recomiendo encarecidamente...

Estuve en este restaurante la semana pasada. Este restaurante me lo recomendó y la verdad es que nos ataca. La comida es muy buena, probamos muchas cosas del menú y fue muy agradable. En cuanto a la atención, fue amable y atento y agradable. Tenían buena música y cócteles después de cenar. Y el ambiente era muy bueno. . . Sin duda, volvería.

La comida aquí es muy buena y a precios razonables. Pedí fajitas de pollo - estaban deliciosos. Las margaritas eran también muy bien hechas. Si estás buscando una buena comida mexicana en la zona, este lugar merece una visita.

Acabamos de disfrutar mi segunda cena en la Cantina mezcal. Teníamos las enchiladas y fajitas junto con un par de margaritas. La comida superó las expectativas.

Nos encontramos con este pequeño tesoro casi por accidente mientras caminando por los alrededores.

Here's a list of things that were bad about this place:

It was a cold evening and I fancied a spicy, hot meal ... and Mezcal caught my eye, just across the street. Staff were welcoming and I was able to sit anywhere as the place wasn't very busy. The food and drinks menu is fairly typical of a Mexican restaurant. As soon as I ordered, two young children at a nearby table started to play up, shouting and jumping on chairs. The parents were hopeless, presumably thinking their children have a right to spoil everyone else's dining experience. The children then began running around the tables, shouting and screaming. The older child pushed a younger child over deliberately, but still nothing said by the parents. While this is not a fault of the restaurant, they lost at least two people who came in, but then thought better of it when they saw these out of control children creating havoc. My food arrived, it was barely warm and not particularly tasty. A glass of white wine was also served warm. Service was pleasant, but really slow, so goodness knows what it would be like if the place was busy. But maybe it never will be, I certainly won't be going back.

I've never written a one star review before, but I am really disappointed/angry with my experience here. Visited with a friend as we thought it looked quirky and fairly busy. It took ten minutes for our order to be taken. Ten minutes later the waiter came back as he'd forgotten the order and our wine wasn't available. We were annoyed but these things happen. We ordered two large starters to share, nachos and tacos, which took 50 minutes to arrive. Both average. The toilets had no where to dry your hands and the handwash was watered down. This is OK for a household but it makes me question the cleanliness of a business serving food. Upon receiving the bill I requested the service charge to be removed to which the waiter said it was compulsory! Providing an acceptable standard of service isn't hard. We had a limited amount of time that evening and to have it spoiled like this was a great disappointment.

No wonder there are so many different reviews - it's such a varied place. Loud lively music, and clearly Latin families having a lot of fun! Excellent cocktails and bottled beers (short South American list) and Mexican spirits.But... had to wait ages to be served. I mean really ages. I mean - if i wasn't being plied with exceptional booze and lively music, I probably would have left, ages!Then when the food came it was pretty meh to be honest. Okay, but not as good as the surroundings (there's a nice atmosphere there) or aforementioned drinks.But I've still given the 4 out of 5 because I had such a nice time there. If only it was a family-friendly bar with snacks, rather than a (misfiring) restaurant. It would be perfect! (and overrun by hipsters and ruined in no time!).

Mezcal has great food, a lot of genuine reviews I read on Facebook about this restaurant came from people who had a good visit and enjoyed food. In my experience, their tacos are awesome.

Went here for delicious cactus tacos and guacamole. The margaritas were not bad either. They homemake their tortilla chips, which is rare in the UK and it was all very yummy. Would go again and again!

Popped in for dinner one Sunday evening. The food was good but nothing extraordinary. The prices were typical London prices. The service was great with really friendly staff.

I have been there a few times and I walk by it quite often. There is always a nice ambience, with live music sometimes. The service is super attentive and the margaritas delicious. I had better mexican food in London though.

Myself and a friend tried a couple of Mezcal cocktails a couple of weeknds ago. During a busy saturday night service, whilst paying our bill we shared a lovely, genuine chat wth Caesar (the owner) and were introduced to his wife and members of his closeknit team. Ceasar even insisted on sampling another of Mexico's Mezcals with us. The gesture was really appreciated as was the personal and uncontrived chat. Lovely quirky little place, family run with a very personal touch. Service was great x

This is a great place with really good choices of authentic mexican dishes, Pozole is great, quesadillas, tacos and best Mezcal cocktails, great margaritas, good service

Shocking service - chipped plates - atmosphere was great though....food could be better but was acceptable - worth going it but I'm sure there are better places around - I fancied Mexican though....

I've eaten Mexican food; this isn't it. Cheap ingredients. We ordered 4 different dishes, they all tasted the same. Service is diabolical. Don't bother with this place, there's too much choice elsewhere.

My daughter absolutely loved her fajitas... I liked the food- but then I'm not a massive fan of Mexican food overall.Massive list of cocktails on offer- this place looks and feels ideal for a drunken party with friends, or to impress a 10 year, which I did.

Me and the girlfriend went there for dinner and on looking at the menu outside were a little apprehensive as it looked a bit like a independent Las iguanas. However we couldn't have been more wrong the food was much better than las iguanas and the staff were excellent. We were there half an hour after a 2 for 1 deal finished on their cocktails and our waiter gave us our first round 2 for 1 anyway. Would definitely recommend and return.

The food is OK, however it is not fantastic. It could be better considering how tasty Mexican food can be. This said, the Margaritas are great. Worth a visit.

My partner and I stumbled across this place on a recent Friday night and ended up having the most amazing time. All of the lovely workers were up dancing and laughing and teaching us lots of Spanish and Mexican dance moves. The vibe was excellent and we hope to head there again soon.

Contrary to some of the other reviews I found this to be a great culinary experience punctuated with great drinks, music and a lively atmosphere.Mezcal Cantina is run by a lovely mexican husband and wife team who are passionate about the experience they are selling. The decor is bright and and florid, the seating simple and functional, allowing it to be moved around to suit the size and composition of different parties.I was most impressed by the huge selection of Marguerita's on offer. You just cannot eat Mexican without Margueritas so we asked for the owner to bring us 2 of her favourites and was not dissapointed. My wife had the 'Marguerita de Horchata', which contains a rice concentrate (sounds strange but was delicious) and cinnamon, whilst I had the passionfruit one, also delicious. Neither of these would have been our first choices if we had been selecting for ourselves but I'm glad we allowed her to choose for us.We had the obligatory guacamole and chips as a pre meal nibble and then, keen to get an authentic and different meal than we would normally have chosen, we asked the owner to bring us starters and main courses of her choosing. Again we were not to be disappointed. We had a huge selection of mini taco starters to share and then for mains, 'Pollo al Achiote' a deliciously spiced roast chicken dish and a slow cooked lamb shank dish, whose name I did not get, which was so tender it just fell off the bone. Both mains had suitable sides of rice, salad or potato to accompany them. Add to this a couple of Pacifico cervezas and we were now completely stuffed.However, I couldn't very well come to a place called Mezcal Cantina without partaking in a little of the namesake liquor.There was a large selection of tequilas and mezcals listed on the blackboard as well as a couple which were kept quiet about.I opted for a really rare Pechuga mezcal, brought over from Mexico by a friend of the family, which is made, bizarrely by dangling a piece of chicken in the distilling liquid until it almost dissolves. The glycerin and collagen from the chicken creates a “rich mouthfeel,” which is distiller parlance for a full-bodied, substantial texture akin to what you might find in a robust red wine. It was both fruity and smokey and a really nice way to end my evening.I will definately be returning here again and will be heartily recommending it to friends.

I was really excited to try this place, the decor and vibe of the place is great but the food and service were terrible. Table of 5 - the first plate came out 25 minutes before the others and it was sent back as the chicken wasn't fresh. One of the kitchen staff came over and rudely insisted we were wrong and that we shouldn't have sent the plate back! When the food finally arrived after a long wait my food wasn't hot (and had NO cheese!!) and one of the orders was wrong but by that point we couldn't be bothered to complain again. There are a few new mexican and latin restaurants opening in Dalston and I'd recommend going there insttead. It's rare for us not to tip - service charge was automatically added to the bill which we kindly asked to be removed as it was that bad!

Really disappointed with our meal and all the dishes we had. Everything was tasteless unless covered in the shop bought hot sauce that was on the table. Chicken wasn't great quality, the salad on the side was just a bit of plain green lettuce.My enchiladas were just mush on a plate. Said they were baked, but not a sign of anything crisp.Won't be coming back, was just too expensive for what it was.Pretty gutted because I really like Mexican food and had high hopes on this place.

Came here on me Friday afternoonExcellent beers, tequilas and margaritas. Some great craft beers Food very good too!Staff very helpful.

Pretty OK food, nothing really surprising. Price quite hught but it;s London - so can not be cheap ;)

The best Mexican in Hackney we love to visit Mexico every year and this is the closest we have come to the food in Hackney good Mole chicken

I always have a great evening when I go to Mezcal, staff are friendly and the food is always tasty. I've been told by my Mexican friend that the food is very authentic here. Great vibe and lovely little restaurant

Ordered a delivery on a sunday evening. It took almost 2 hours for the food to arrive. The beef tacos were extremely dry, we couldn't eat them. The tortillas were definitely NOT home made. Very cheap and tasteless. The chicken parrillada consisted of a grilled chicken breast and a tiny chorizo sausage. Again the meat was really dry with no spices whatsoever. For £16.90 I would have expected a bit more. We also got some Nachos to share and again... As bland as you can get. Guacamole, tomato sauce just tasted of.... nothing....Bill came to a total of £34.90 for 2. Expensive for a small amount of a plain (mexican?) take away..

Europeans are not good at Mexican food, and sadly this seems to extend to Mexicans in Europe as well. But I am consistently pleased with Mezcal compared to all of the other places I've tried. Of course my perspective is probably skewed because all the times I've gone, I've only ordered the posole! Just the fact that I can get posole is almost enough for me, but theirs is better than average. Perhaps my standards would be higher if I were in Southern California or something, but since I'm not, I would say Mezcal is your best bet. Additionally, the spicy grapefruit margarita is very tasty, and I generally like the atmosphere.

Sorry there really isn't a nice way to put it.Food was not authentic, I could have probably made it better myself. And drinks are too expensive, 5£ for a 33ml bottle of pacifico? Won't be coming back

Lovely food, great Drinks & Excellent service, Been Award as one of the best Mexican restaurant in London! Can't miss highly recommended

The name is Mezcal Cantina so you should expect two things from this place:1. Mezcal2. Mexican foodBoth were atrocious. From the list of Mezcals the restaurant claim to have they only had two - barely two at that since nobody should be proud of stocking Monte Alban so really only one passable Mezcal was available. This was on a Saturday night so it's not like they had sold out over a busy weekend and were awaiting re-supply.They didn't even have any interestinmg Mexican beers - just the standard stuff you find in the supermarket and this place is selling them to you for a fiver a bottle! Where's the Bohemia? Where's the Tecate? Where's the Indio?Guys - if you're struggling for Mezcal supply try Master of Malt in the UK or CampoLuzEnoteca in Spain (both will deliver to you) or maybe get your mates back home to ship it over from La Europea. Whatever you do, if you're going to call yourself Mezcal Cantina the least you can do is have some Mezcal in stock!!Now on to the food...It's obvious you don't make your own tortillas but I can forgive that (although my wife was less than forgiving on this point).What cannot be forgiven, what is utterly disgusting is that your "salsa" is made from ketchup!! Ketchup Salsa. Folks, let that settle in a bit. A place that prides themselves on serving authentic Mexican cuisine thinks it's ok to serve you salsa made from tomato ketchup.So let's recap.Mezcal Cantina doesn't have any Mezcals worth drinking and their very mediocre food is served with ketchup salsa.I'll also agree with many other reviewers that the food and drinks are horrifically over priced.

We went for dinner, the waiter was really polite and helpful. Fajitas was absolutely delicious! Margarita even more! You can ask for the different margaritas they do, is fabulous! Is a bit expensive though.

My sister lives in London and has wanted to try this restaurant for awhile as we always go to one of the turkish restaurants normally. The staff are friendly and the food is ok but seemed expensive. There were 3 of us and we all had one cocktail (which was great) 2 starters to share and a main meal each and the bill was £110! Can normally go to the turkish and spend less than half of that. Glad we tried it but will not be returning

We went to this place randomly for drinks. They had a variety of different margaritas, mojitos and loads more. The classic margarita was so good, one of the best I've ever had!

I was very disappointed in my dining experience here. Writing more about it is just annoying me more. Read the headline to get me summary of the place.

Excellent food ..........and good service we we felt real Mexican atmosphere and staff are friendly......cocktail also very good

I asked for some sour cream, even though the burrito implied that it came with it. The waitress bought a small half a pot ( something that mayonnaise or ketchup is often served in ) and made a comment that often it is wasted, if it was free I could understand that comment but as they charged extra for it, I would have expected a full pot. Overpriced for the quality

Tasty food, which make you feel that you are actually in Mexico. They do have a lot of other dishes than tacos, I had a great mexican stew last night.

Ignore any bad reviews about the authenticity of the food here, this place uses authentic ingredients and it shows in the great flavours every time we go. My partner and around 10 mexican friends meet there for meals often and we have always had a great experience. Service is not always fast but no place is perfect. Go, Enjoy, If you feel the food isnt authentic perhaps go back to asda and get some crap from there perhaps you'll be more at home.

Amazing service, friendly staff, I had an amazing time. The food and the cocktails are really good, My food was served on time, quick and excellent service.

Set menu was GREAT - very complete. Their margaritas are delicious and you feel like you're in Mexico upon first sip! And their tortilla chips are soo good, not processed at all. The burrito was decent - I must admit I expected it to be tastier. But my wife had the Chicken Achicote which was supreme, and the fish dish (suprisingly) was great. Awesome, fun customer service, great atmosphere - and at 23:30 we were all given free champs and grapes which added to the good time overall. Recommend for traditional Mexican grub!

Best place in East London for Mexican as far as I'm concerned! Wonderfully friendly staff, good atmosphere, brilliant margaritas, and absolutely fantastic, authentic food. Very generous servings to boot. Go have fun :)

I have never been to Mexico, but I can tell you I felt like I have yesterday.The restaurant is very authentic, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and music.The waiters are very welcoming and smiley!The cocktails are amazing, I couldn't stop. The food is really good and the portions are generous, my friend and I couldn't finish our dishes we had nachos, enchiladas and fajitas which were all amazing. I will definitely be back.

We loved it here, the mood is always a fiesta and the staff are super friendly and attentive, the food is truly authentic, Ive been to Mexico and its like Ive been teleported back! A great place for a fun dinner night.

This is a really lovely genuine mexican restaurant everything tasts fresh and homemade, the spiced vanilla mojito is a favorite and offcourse they have the most fantastic churros with dulce de leche!! Very yummy :)

The food comes in large portions and a starter can be shared between two. The main courses are good and large portions although not cheap. The food seems fairly authentic although they do also offer tex-mex. The cocktails were good. The staff are very nice although when it gets busy the service slows down. The atmosphere is cool.

By reading most of the previous reviews, I would have thought I was in a different restaurant altogether. Therefore, something must be clear: you WILL be disappointed if you come here expecting to eat nachos with tepid yellow cheese sauce on or burritos filled with cream and rice, like everywhere else. You won't. however, if you expect real, authentic Mexican food at a very good price. I had been wanting to try this restaurant as it had many great reviews from the Mexican community in London, to which I belong. I ordered some chicken flautas as a starter which were piping hot, crispy and delicious - they just needed a bit of some kind of sauce on the side to make them perfect. I then had the pozole rojo as a main course which was a big portion, very generous on the meat and hominy front, and seasoned just right. I'd just flown in from Mexico City the day before so I *know* good Mexican food when I try it. The service, as opposed to general opinions here, lacked lustre to me ... but it was reasonably efficient since we were a very large party. The horchata was lovely! The only downside to my meal was the bunuelos con miel, which I expected to be covered in a delicious piloncillo syrup. I received a sundae cup with 3 scoops of ice cream and some tortilla chips sprinkled with sugar surrounding it. It was very, very disappointing. I don't like ice cream and nowhere in the menu did it state it was served like this. :( but the rest of the food was fantastic, good enough to guarantee another visit. My bill, including drinks (soft) and tip was £34.99 - seems very good value to me, considering the sheer amount of food consumed :)

came here for drinks and loved it so much we came back the next morning for a (much needed) breakfast. the heuvos rancheros is excellent, very generous meal sizes and the staff are amazing. If youre after real mexican food and drinks, this is your spot!

We are locals and use to come quite regularly to this Mexican restaurant which we loved for its food and atmosphere. We went there last week on a Thursday evening and it was terrible. The service was friendly but extremely slow and forgetful. The food was appalling, insipid, obviously micro waved, badly presented and just sad. Such a shame as it use to be good and the standards have just gone down.

We waited almost 10 minutes for a menu. A waitress then approached to take our food order and looked surprised that we had no menus. It then took almost 15 minutes for someone to return and take our order. The food was so slow coming out that we almost left. Frankly, we should have trusted our instincts. My 'very hot' pork and corn stew was one of the blandest things I've ever eaten, a desert of flavour. My partner's lamb in beer and cinnamon sauce tasted just like mine but with loads of cinnamon. Its sole saving grace was the the very tender lamb shank. An awful meal, all in all.

The food is excellent. Just like being in Mexico ! Good size portions. Yummy cocktails. Good environment. I had a great time with my friends and they did too! Definitely I have to go back !

I have been here a couple times now had different things each time. Chicken enchalatas w/ verde sauce is fantastic, fajitas are good & a huge portion. We happen to get there for happy hour & my husband had a two for one margarita, so a good deal & a well made drink. In a fun & trendy neighborhood & were even very sweet to our little one. I am from California, so picky on my Mexican food & I still give it a thumbs up.

If you like Mexican food, you need to try this place. I got the chicken and Chorizo dish, it was lovely and came with a lot of sides. I got extra refried beans as I'm obsessed with them and they were so tasty! The cocktails are a must too, the Passionfruit Daiquiri is very refreshing and perfect after a big meal.

Word to the wise, stay away. I'm local to the area and ate in Mezcal in the first few months following its opening and thought the food was average. We ate at Mezcal this weekend and were shocked at how bad it had be come. We were a medium sized group. We ordered a bunch of starters, quesadillas- which were dry and not warm enough. Tequila prawns which were over cooked to the consistency of a tyre. Ceviche was mixed with stale salad and dry and almost tasted like it had gone bad. The tortilla chips were stale and the nachos were poor.In their defence michelada's were tasty and albeit slow the service was friendly. Having spent £25 each for food and drink there is so much food of higher caliber for that price locally and further a field.

We loved this place, amazing food (tried Mole) and superb Cocktails, great Athmosphere and service!! I would highly recommend this place!!!

Definitely one of the less amazing mexican food joints i've visited in London! And that is saying something! I have had better from the american chains. And it was much cheaper.The chicken flauta's were just dry chicken with dry fried tortilla surrounding it. The Huitlacoche was served in massive slices of slimey mushroom esque style, the best i've had it was when it was pureed. The house Mezcal is not even worthy of the name Mezcal! The horrible brown/orange one you get in corner shops beside the sierra tequila with the hat! Both American I can only assume.And not even any homemade salsa. A variety of bottles that weren't particularly tasty or spicy. If you're looking for real authentic mexican try Santo's on Portobello road!Extremely disappointed. As was my wallet.

went here on a Friday night for a friends birthday. the restaurant was so busy and after drinking and eating here, I can see why. the staff are amazingly attentive, and the service so very friendly. the food was incredibly with a great variety of dishes. definitely have some of the cocktails, and definitely let them know if you re celebrating a special occasion, as they go that little but further if your celebrating :)

The chicken mole was watery and horrible. The refried beans were out of a can. Agree that I don't think the cooks have been to Mexico, or Texas or California. Having just come back from California and having eaten great CalMex, I came in with low expectations, and these were not surpassed. Cocktails were good though.

I have no idea what other people are complaining about. I have visited this place several times this year and always find the staff, food and atmosphere to be amazing. I find it's a fun place to go for some nachos and cocktails before moving on to a bar. Yes the food is quite pricey, but it's good quality and big portions. I have never had any problem with the service, they are always friendly and fast.

The place was rammed and there was a constant queue of people coming into the restaurant which made for a great vibe - especially with the tiny bar at the back. A shame, then that the manager - I think - showing us to our table was such a misery guts that I mentioned it to our waitress. I think she must have said something though, as he brightened up as the evening went on. My wife's vegetarian fajitas were massive and tasty with excellent chilli sauce and salsa though guacamole really should have been included. She said her passion fruit mocktail was great (I didn't get a look-in). I had prawns in chipotle which blew my head off - in a good way (I had been warned) and unlike many places there must have been eight to ten on my plate. Super tasty. There was no pressure to vacate our table once we had finished even though we weren't ordering which was a surprise. A great dinner all round and we will return but too busy for a romantic dinner...

We chanced apon this restaurant and was not expecting too much as I have generally been disappointed by themed restaurants (especially mexican) in north london. We ended up having one of the best nights in ages. The food was delicous, good value (for the portion sizes) and the service so friendly. We were also lucky that it happened to be Mexican Independence Day so we had mariachis, singing, wrestlers.. all the restaurant was dancing, helped by the lively manager. On top of it it all felt quite authentic (a lot of mexicans there and plesantly suprised to see no hipsters) and not the gimmicky place that dalston is so full of.I really recommend this place.

I've previously reviewed Mezcal and suggested it would be best to find somewhere else to eat in Dalston, afterall there's plenty of choice for good food nearby such as White Rabbit, Shanghai, Jones and Sons, Evin, Mockingbird etc. After seeing 'new menu' in the windows of Mezcal we decided to try again. Having been consistently disappointed with how bland the food is for a Mexican joint, we decided to keep it simple and we all ordered various burritos. Shamefully, nothing's changed. The food was mediocre at best and none of us were blown away by our meals. Something is seriously wrong with the kitchen, to the point where I'm wondering if any of the staff have either been to Mexico or bothered to try any of the meals they're slinging out to customers. For a restaurant with such a good atmosphere, it's a crime that the food is not equally interesting. When someone decides to open up a competing Mexican restaurant in Dalston, Mezcal will go down the pan unless it changes fast.

It's a nice looking place in a cool spot, but the food misses the mark. It's just really middle of the road and a little pricier than you'd expect. Serving sizes are OK, but I'd just prefer the food to be more interesting.Cocktails are OK, but certainly nothing to write home about.

Went in on a Sunday and ordered the enchiladas. When the culinary masterpiece arrived it was swimming in a brown sauce that I wrongly assumed to be edible. My girlfriend initially thought it was a desert. Having both taken a bite of our respective dishes we decided to leave the rest and find a restaurant that serves food. If it had of been edible it would also have still been overpriced.

For atmosphere / food / value this is currently our favourite Mexican restaurant in London. We have been on Sat nights when a real party atmosphere with a young Dalston crowd. Surprised by negative reviews. Having lived in Mexico for three years we found the food interesting, good quality and authentic ( and much better than the photo on Tripadvisor).The murals are stunning and provide great colour. Reservations recommended at weekends etc.Reasonably priced and convenient for overground stations. We will be back!

I heard about Mezcal Cantina by a friend of a Friend who has a Mexican radio program in London. She recommended this place. Well I was not dissapointed. I've been to Mexico a couple of times and I can tell you that this place ticks all the boxes. Music, decoration and the staff.. very Mexican. The FOOD!! well... it was like eating in MEXICO... very traditional and original recipes, I had to try the Chiles en Nogada (kind of like spicy green pepper) filled with mince beef and covered in a nice rich creamy sauce... they were fantastic! my partner had a Mixiote of Lamb, a nice lamb cooked in a banana leaf, the meat melt in your mouth! The menu is easy to understand and the cocktails are great! The chef told us we must try the Jarrito Empedador- a Mezcal with passion fruit juice, mango and ginger drink served in a clay jug well... we had to have 2 more of those!! A nice friendly place, and authentic Mexican food!

Small but friendly Mexican restaurant in the East end of London. As you enter you hear the real Mexican music playing, also a big screen showing Mexican Videos, and the graffiti art of Frida Khalo, Mexican Day of the dead skulls then you know you just entered to a little Mexico. The menus one with all types of drinks, cocktails and a variety of tequilas and Mezcal and some funky names or traditional drinks.The food many has a good explanation of what you want to order or if not just ask the friendly Chef that would be happy to come and explain the dish for you. Great choice of food and all made fresh, I tried the Chiles en Nogada, a kind of Green pepper chilli (a bit spicy) filled with mince beef and served and nice reach creamy sauce, never tasted anything like in London! a must try! all I can say.... DELICIOUS!My friend had a Enchiladas de mole, which is a soft corn tortillas filled shredded chicken breast and cover in a rich creamy mole sauce- MOLE is a sweet and spicy sauce made of cocoa and spices... yes chocolate!! We also had a Jarrito a drink made with mezcal and passion fruit and mango juice.. served in a terracotta cup we couldn't get enough of it!!Over all experience... a fun place to go, Mexicans sing along to the music and apparently if you stay until the end on a Friday night, you get to stay for the party!! Great place, all the staff are friendly! oh, and if is your birthday you get a cocktail and a Mexican wrestler coming to wish you a happy birthday with all the kitchen staff! Funny!

I wouldn't disagree with previous posts that some parts of the dining experience are a tad rough (lack of cutlery/napkins etc) but I really enjoy eating at Mezcal. It's not the spiciest or most authentic Mexican food you could probably find, but the staff are super friendly, the cocktails are great and the food is hearty and tasty. The taco sizes are pretty comparable to other restaurants like Wahaca or Boho Mexica. I'm just glad it's not doing tapas like every other new restaurant in the area - we left very full and satisfied. Next time though, I'm getting the mixed taco platter.

This place makes me SO angry! By all accounts it SHOULD be fantastic - it's in a great location in Dalston, it's the only Mexican restaurant for miles, it serves cocktails, has a trendy (shabby chic) interior and a genuine Mexican feel to the place. It has only one problem - THE FOOD SUCKS! OK that's a little strong, but the food really disappoints and I've been there three times now so it's no coincidence. What's the point of tortillas the size of CDs? You don't get enough and I was begrudgingly given TWO extra when I asked for more - they can't be expensive surely? You should be given a stack of these things when you order fajitas? Or just make them bigger like actual tortillas!Every single person who I've dined with at Mezcal has had something to complain about when it comes to the food. They just don't get it right - either the presentation is lazy, the food is underwhelming (I thought Mexican food was supposed to be spicy?) or the portions are miserly.The best thing Mezcal can do now is hire a new head chef to knock heads together and revamp the menu.

Having lived in Dalston for ten years I have enjoyed seeing the area change and late last year along came this massively popular restaurant. This places USP is that it is the real taste of Mexico.We have been to Mexico and we don't remember tortilla the size of discs! How are we supposed to eat the sharing starters or the fajitas. Someone is having a laugh. What really let's this place down is its service. We asked for cutlery 3 times, drinks and water 4 times etc...When we left we took time to get our coats on. No one came to say goodbye or how was your meal. They instead watched us leave (actually standing and watching) from the bar!Food wasn't tasty and £25 for 2 courses and one drink which isn't Dalston prices!Best bit the place looks cool but don't eat here you have been warned!

Having had home-cooked food in Mexico - eg chili relleno, nopales, chicken mole - my subsequent 30 year quest for good Mexican food is probably a foolish endeavour. I keep on learning the same old lesson.I don't think Tex-Mex food is that interesting and it doesn't strike me as Mexican - but I could be wrong.Loads of sloppy ingredients bunged into a tortilla wrap .. oh dear ... the crowd of flavours seems to cancel each other out ... and so hard to eat without making an uncomfortable mess!I had gone with great hopes to the Mezcal Cantina having popped in a couple of weeks before to ask about their tortillas - ie are they like the ones you get in Mexico, corn yellow with a pleasing bitterness? [That is, not the bland, sweet ones mass produced for supermarkets, etc in the UK.] The manager gave me a sample with a delicious dollop of guacamole. The tortilla was OK, but he said he was going to get the right flour in when he could to make the real thing.Between us, we had the chicken burrito and pollo al achiote. We were both disappointed. I should have given up, but I tried Chipotle in Islington a month or so later, but that can wait for another review!I should really save up and go to Mexico and see whether I've been chasing a false dream.