Taco Libre in Edinburgh, City of

Okay so the food was good. The salsa was the best part so fingers crossed home made, beef maybe on the tougher side but not the end of the world. Ordinarily this would have warranted 4 or 5 stars as was a good experience. What I have an issue with is the hygiene of the female waitress. I saw her touching her nose/face and her shoes on several occasions and then serving food without washing her hands. Not good!

Nice little place ticked away on princess street.

There's a Taco Bell 200m down the street...if you go there instead of this place you should be crucified. Food was made with love, service was great and the vibe was awesome. Definitely coming back.

The food here is unbelievable. Absolutely delicious and truly authentic Mexican food. Great service.

The cochinita pibil tacos and the toros nachos were very good, but the roast chicken tacos were not up there. The atmosphere and decoration of the place are wonderful. One downside: they do not accept cards, something that is not indicated anywhere.

I have been meaning to come here for a long time and finally made it, well worth the wait! I had steak tacos and enchiladas, delicious food, I cannot recommend it enough, if you are in town give it a go, also very reasonable prices. FYI they don’t take card, bring some cash

Tiny place but amazing food, great service and friendly staff.

Friendly quick service in a cosy place..try after Johnny Walker experience..,

Wow. On the outside, Taco Libre looks like a Mexican take on the classic Edinburgh takeaway, lit (as they all are) almost exclusively in neon. The laminated and ring bound menus on formica tables, served by a slightly harried waiter and emphasising that this really, really is a cash-only establishment, don't do anything to disabuse you of this notion. And then you order some food and drinks. And you realise you've discovered some of the best Mexican food in the UK. First, the drinks. We had a frozen lime margarita and a mojito and both were fantastic. I followed up with a strawberry version of the aforementioned margarita, and it was the kind of sweet treat you want to down there and then. But really the star is the food. We ordered a couple of plates of tacos, some deep fried jalapenos, some chips and guacamole and a pollo quesadilla. These were so delicious that we were compelled to order more tacos... and a kind of flatbread... and almost an enchilada before we had to stage an intervention on our own behaviour. The Mexican family who own and run this restaurant clearly care about delivering the best possible, authentic food they can. The care they're putting into the cuisine means that perhaps the surroundings are a bit of an afterthought. And yet said surroundings create a really buzzing atmosphere that makes you love the whole thing even more. A must-visit, as soon as you possibly can.

Small shop, cool accessories and design, but more of a bistro for young people. Fast service!

Probably the best tacos in Edinburgh and wider. Highly recommended.

We had the pollo quesadillas with chips and salsa. The flavours were perfect, great cook on the meat. I've eaten a lot of Mexican food in the US, and for flavour this ranks up with the best. I'd like to see some burrito menu items, but we'll certainly be eating here again.

Very tasty and authentic food! Best tacos in Edinburgh!

Quick and tasty. Lucky to find a free table. Food on the cool side of warm.

Perfect intimate spot for a quick tasty dinner out. We walked in and got a table for 2 but there is limited space and many people got turned away as it was full. Vibe is great. Food delicious. We overordered for two with tortillas, a chimichanga each and 2x portions of tacos between us. Drinks also fab. Cash only !

Brilliant find. Proper Mexican food. Friendly staff. Ordered tacos and nachos and another dish. Food was fresh and tasty. Good selection of cocktails. Cash only but there is an ATM close by.

This is a great little restaurant! The servers were so nice and the food was ready in 2 mins! Best tacos I’ve had in Scotland. I got the beef tacos and the meat was so tender and fresh. I would definitely come here again! I asked for the servers recommendation and they recommended the best tacos they had and I did not regret it at all.

Amazing atmosphere, amazing staff with amazing food. I couldn't have asked for more honestly. Though I'm not too familiar with Mexican cuisine, this restaurant screams authentic to me. I've eaten here twice already, and every bite is just as amazing as the first. The quesadillas being my absolute favourite, they're a must try in my bookk

Not great...tortilla chips in the nachos were stale. No guacamole on the nachos, although it's on the menu. This place is not worth the high prices they charge. Definitely not worth the additional service charge. The waiter was inattentive. Stood behind the counter the whole time messing around on his phone.

Did you know there's a Taco Bell nearby? If you have a couple more quid I'd skip that and come to this place. Foods nice, portions are generous to say the least and there's something really fun about the decor of the place. Luchadores, Frida Kahlo and Vicente Fernández accompany you while you eat.

This is a fun place, a little cramped, but great tex-mex food.

Ever since our trip to the US last autumn- I have been thinking about the street tacos I ate over there. Coming home, I wanted to find the best tacos in Scotland and these are amazing! Proper corn taco shells is an absolute must and these guys deliver. The margaritas are also incredible, the chilli salt they put around the rim is so addictive!

Food and cocktails were lovely, ordered 2 what we thought were mains and although yummy, we left still hungry and had to stop off and grab a snack at the wee local on way home. Portions need to be bigger if you’re charging main prices.

Unbelievable food! If you’re looking for authentic Mexican food. This IS the place! The tacos are amazing! Service was great!

Easily the best Mexican food in Edinburgh. Really authentic, nice staff, friendly & chill atmosphere

Amazing food - tacos and natchos are great, authentic food, highly recommend

Been wanting to visit this place for about a year, happy to say it was worth the wait. Food was top class, some of the best Mexican food we’ve had, fresh margaritas made to order. We have the chicken chimichangas and they were undoubtedly stand out winner. Food send to arrived when it was ready, so not all not dishes arrived at once, this didn’t bother us as we tucked in and shared everything between the two of us. We spent around £65 for food, including 2 beers (dos Equis and 2 frozen margaritas). Only down side was some of the furniture was a bit run down. They do add a service charge to the bill automatically, service was great so happy to pay but something to note.

The staff is super friendly and helpful, I called 15 mins before my reservation and added 3 more guests, and they were super accommodating. The facilities are smashing with the lucha libre theme. I'll explain my 3 starts. More than half is what mistakenly, the world knows as "Mexican" food. Fajitas, burritos, and enchiladas (made with flour tortilla and sour cream) aren't Mexican at all. People have to be abducted, and restaurants claiming being "Mexican" aren't helping. Having said that, there are some items in the menu that can be considered Mexican. I had the tiniest Huarache I've ever had in my life. The flavour was ok, but the cream killed most of it. Chicken tinga tostadas were also nice, but the same thing with the cream. Micheladas are made super differently across the country, so I suggest to include where they are from. I was very disappointed with them because they're nothing like I'm used to, but then again, they must be from a different region. And finally, I was sooooo happy when saw "chiles rellenos" on the menu... but I almost cried when I realised they weren't the traditional ponlano pepper.

We’ve only ordered online, but I’m so keen to try it in person one day! Have loved everything we’ve ordered from here, so tasty! Tacos are all amazing, and sides are great too (empanadas), would really recommend

Very crowded, because is very small, the staff is very friendly. But the food is very good, I love the pastor tacos, also the pepper ones. I prefer quesadillas because they are bigger. The drinks are fine.

Very disappointing. Possibly one of the worst Mexican diners I have eaten at. Food appears to be microwaved

An absolute gem! Moved from California to the UK years back and have been missing authentic Mexican food ever since. This place was everything I could hope for. The food was incredible, the mezcal margarita amazing, the decor and music perfection. Can’t wait to go back!

Moved from California to the UK years back and have been missing authentic Mexican food ever since. This place was everything I could hope for. The food was incredible, the mezcal margarita amazing, the decor and music perfection. Can’t wait to go back!

Hit or a miss Taquería. Some Tacos are delicious,others lack life. The waitress is amazing. Knowledgeable in degrees of commerce. It's Latino owned and better than most of the chains. Give it a whirl. Ps. Cash only.

¡Los tacos más ricos de Edimburgo! Me encanta la decoración del lugar, es súper bonito. Lo único que podría mejorar en mi opinión, es que no aceptan tarjeta, por lo menos la última vez que fui.

Excelent Mexican food. It's very small and has a great atmosphere and traditional vibe

Great Carne asada tacos. Look out cash only!

Only minor issue is the restaurant only being able to take cash - but the food is delicious!

Delicious tacos and margaritas. It's cash only.

Some of the best Mexican food I’ve ever had, got Birria al Brisket taco and Elote with a margarita, every single thing was pure tasty. Can’t recommend enough.

Excellent (and big!) margaritas, amazing tacos and the nachos with refried beans were delicious. Some really good veggie options too. Very relaxed setting, ideal for a quick dinner

Some of the best mexican street food you can get in Edinburgh.

New review, giving this place the second chance I promised. Much improved, brilliant Al Pastor taco and improved service. I'll definitely be back. ------ I've been wanting to come here for ages. Unfortunately the experience fell a bit flat. The tortillas for the tacos seemed undercooked. And the focus on servicing delivery orders left people dining in poorly served. On the other hand the cocktails were great, as were the nachos and enchilada. I really want to love this place so will definitely be back to give it another chance.

Expensive, 8.50 for 2 tacos is mad. Flavours were meh... Drinks expensive also. The inside of the restaurant is cool and it feels authentic Mexican but the food just doesn't hit the spot.

Great great mexican food!! Watch out that it only accepts cash.

You’d easily miss this place walking past the west end. Food was pretty good and good service. Can’t go wrong if you’re a fan of authentic Mexican food!

The most genuine Mexican restaurant I've been to in Edinburgh. The food had a proper taste of Mexico, having been on holiday there 5 years ago, the first bite of the tacos brought back those flavours! Everything from the food, the drinks and the interior was all genuine & mainly, the food tasted excellent. Dog friendly too!

Amazing food and really cool, lively atmosphere in a great location for very fair prices. Some of the best fish tacos I’ve ever had!

A lovely hidden gem! Small but great atmosphere and food was fantastic! A great cocktail menu too! We came in for frozen cocktails, nachos and to try some antojitos. Really tasty! Food was reasonably priced for the city centre, the staff were friendly and there were toilets available. The only downside was cash only. Would definitely visit again and recommend!

Me preparon unos "tacos dorados" aunque no estaban en el menú y me hicieron sentir como en casa. Para estar tan lejos de México, es uno de los restaurantes más auténticos que he visitado. Es, verdaderamente, un RESTAURANTE MEXICANO. Las micheladas son increíbles y el personal del restaurante fueron muy amables 🤗 Hasta la música era mexicana (Maná) ¡Gracias por la maravillosa experiencia y por hacerme sentir como en México!

Absolutely banging tacos here especially the pork and orange which was so unusual and so so delicious. Really highly recommend eating here

Muy buenos tacos y personal muy amable.

Love the tacos and margaritas here!

No thrills but authentic Mexican food. I have now visited here for a work lunch and an evening meal. There is limited tables but have been able to get a table both times. Decor is funky and the chairs are not the most comfortable but staff are pleasant and food comes quickly. Would recommend to anyone passing and looking for a quick bite to eat.

The food was incredible. The tacos were amazing. The Enchiladas were great, the beans perfect. Service was really friendly and helpful. Cozy and authentic atmosphere. 11/10

Haciendo recopilación de nuestro año y nuestros viajes todavía recordamos la cena en este restaurante ¡¡7 MESES DESPUÉS!! Quién nos iba a decir que en nuestro viaje desde España a Edimburgo nos íbamos a topar con el mejor restaurante mexicano que hemos probado nunca. Fue una experiencia que hizo todavía más especial nuestro viaje, el ambiente del restaurante es algo tan auténtico que te deja huella, la cocinera cantando rancheras te alegra la cena y los camareros son muy simpáticos. La comida está a la altura de todo lo comentado, probamos los nachos, tacos suadero y enchiladas, impresionante y no dudaremos en volver en nuestra próxima visita a Escocia.

Decent enough food. Not the best service though, and they only take cash; I don't like tax dodgers...

The food was absolutely delicious and the margaritas were great! I wish it took card payments though and it would be good if they printed allergy info on the menu.

This place is absolutely great if you’re real Mexican and miss the good food. I got the best lunch I’ve ever have since I left Mexico City. Really love it so much. Love how they have garnachas (sopes and huaraches) what i was craving so much and no Mexican place do (as they just do tacos). This place have so much more than tacos Really love it and hope come back soon

One of the only good spots for Mexican in Edinburgh so greatly appreciate them for that but the service is mid/bordering on bad. Was there last night and our server was just throwing our food on the table to the point where some of it almost slid off the plate. Also, the hostess tried to short-change us £5 and tried to make it seem like we were the ones lying about how much cash we actually gave her, even after showing her the math on a calculator twice and getting her verbal agreement on the amount of cash we had given her. She did give us the £5 but mostly just to get us out of there, and not because she recognized her mistake.

The beef taco was chewy, and also, only accepting cash in 2023 seems like a terrible way to publicly demonstrate TAX EVASION.

Simply the best! It's a small independent restaurant, the decor is amazing but the food and drinks are even better. Friendly service. I went with several friends on different occasions and they all loved it.

This spot right here my people, wow. Amazing friendly and lovely service, with exceptional plates of delicious food down within 10mins or less. Cocktails served were fresh and the staff aren’t stingy with the alcohol. Overall an amazing experience!!!

I am obsessed with this restaurant. I make the trip to Edinburgh just to eat here, and when I come up I have it everyday I am there. Staff are lovely, and food is beyond good. I would recommend this to anyone. The Birria tastes like heaven!!! Can’t wait to eat here again, will be coming through very soon.

Best mexican food in Edinburgh. It's not even close. If you have a friend from north America missing it bring them here

Absolutely awesome little taco shop. The tostadas were ridiculously tasty. Had a wonderful time.

Not impressed at all. They don’t take card which is crazy in todays world. The place is nice enough but way overpriced. Ordered beef tacos which tasted nice but the taco broke away in my hand. The chicken taco seemed like the chicken was from the flavoured cooked chicken you get in supermarkets, very poor. Also a 10% service charge and I had to walk to a bank to get cash! I doubt I’ll be back as there are lots of Mexican places in Edinburgh which are much better.

You’d easily miss this place walking past the west end - but it’s worth a visit. Good food and good service. Can’t go wrong if you’re a fan of authentic Mexican food!

Taco Libre advertises that they were awarded the best mexican restaurant in Scotland for 2023, and that rating is well deserved despite the stiff competition. Walking in, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd stepped through a portal to a Mexican cantina, if not for the tables full of pale Scottish students. The food tastes and smells delicious, and as far as possible seems to be made with authentic ingredients, if not a very good duplication. I personally recommend the (technically tex-mex) chimichangas, but everything we've eaten here has been great.

The best Mexican food in Edinburgh by far, in fact probably the best tacos I’ve had outside of Mexico. Their margs are great too.

Very authentic Mexican restaurant. Delicious dishes, reasonably priced and fast service.

It was quite good! I had al pastor and birria tacos. I liked the birria tacos more! I loved how the tacos had lots of cilantro and white onions. However, I'm from the States here for tourism, and it was definitely markedly milder than Mexican food I get here (and in Minnesota too--not exactly a state known for tolerating spicy food). I'm usually a bit of a wimp, and I expected it to be toned down, so I thought it would end up being the perfect heat level for me. No, it was definitely too mild for what I was used to and tasted bland until I asked for something to heat it up (I was given some habenero sauce). So if you're from the States, keep that in mind and consider asking for it to be made spicier! Hm, I wonder if the waiter requesting spice level when you order would be good? 🤔 There's an Indian restaurant near where I live that asks for a spice level (1-5) when you order, and I think that's a smart way to cater to different tolerances while also letting you know you can order it spicier. Thanks for the yummy food!

Tacos were delicious! This is coming from an American who eats Mexican food a lot. The menu said owners are from Mexico, so it was authentic. Not too expensive either. Only accepted cash.

Proper Mexican food in Edinburgh? Absolutely! I had the Birria tacos they were spot on!

Food didn't fill me even with three plates but none the less, very great food, good music, lots of decor and lively environment.

Fantastic tacos and great margaritas too

The best Mexican food un Edinburgh! 🇲🇽🌮 Run by mexicans and cooked by mexicans. THE BEST OF THE BEST! I recommend the Tacos Suadero, OMG theyre soo good! With a bit of lime on top! Also the Quesadillas are something else! I had the special... So yummy! 🎉 They dont accept crédit card so take cash. You wont be dissapointed. VIVA MÉXICO!!!! 🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽

Authentic Mexican cantina. Served a spicy drink based on beer - very good.

Único lugar en donde encuentras Jarritos de mango y guayaba.

Literally my favourite place to eat in town. Can't walk past without sneaking in for a snack and a marg. Brilliant staff, brilliant offerings.

was here two days ago. absolutely amazing atmosphere and perfect service. food is cooked and prepared to perfection highly recommend this place if you’re in the centre and want good food that’s at an amazing price.

Very nice and tasty food, service was a bit slow and sadly only cash payment possible..

Honestly was so excited to try here “Mexican food cooked by Mexicans”. I was really disappointed. I went with my boyfriend, I am a vegetarian, he eats meat. He ordered shrimp “tacos” and chicken tacos. I ordered cheese empanadas and halloumi tacos and we ordered elotes to share. We each ordered a margarita also. The service was very slow. The empanadas arrived first, I was so hungry i immediately took a big bite and to my horror discovered they were full of CHICKEN. We said it to the waiter who seemed confused as to what the issue was but apologised. I don’t think they fully understood how upsetting this was for me. We then waited awhile for the next food to come out. The corn came next which was okay, quite tasty. The next was the shrimp “tacos” and the chicken tacos. I say “tacos” because it was a flour tortilla wrapped up like a burrito. I sat and watched my boyfriend eat his tacos and we sat looking at the empty plates for quite awhile before my halloumi tacos finally arrived. I had no appetite at this stage after the chicken incident, I barely ate half of one. Overall the food was pretty basic. Wasn’t impressed at all. Wouldn’t go again.

Our family came here recently hoping to find some good Mexican food that our son can have when he misses home. He was born and raised in California but lives here now. We didn't think we'd have much luck finding a place until I ran across a forum where several people raved about Taco Libre. Unfortunately, we didn't have a great experience. We sat at a table outside and each placed orders for tacos (pollo asado, carne asada, and pastor halloumi) and an order of veggie nachos to share. The server was friendly and all the food except for my order of pastor halloumi tacos were brought out fairly quickly. I sampled the nachos while I waited for my order. The ey were ok but not great. The beans tasted like they came from a can and the chips were just odd - they did not taste like any chips we have in Mexican restaurants back home. Meanwhile, my son and husband finished their tacos and mine still hadn't come out. Our server had vanished but another one came out with an order of corn. I told her the corn didn't belong to us and that I was waiting for halloumi tacos. She said something like, "oh, yes!" and ran off. After several minutes of not seeing any server, I went to look for assistance. I finally saw our original server who apologized and gave me the tacos. I ordered halloumi tacos because halloumi is not something we can typically get at home and I love halloumi. The description states, "marinated grilled haloumi served with pineapple, savoy, red onion, guacamole, pico de gallo and red salsa. suitable for vegetarians." However, from the first bite, it was clear that the halloumi was not grilled - it was cold and raw. Not good at all. My son tasted it and agreed that it was raw and not good. What a disappointment. I should note that my husband and son thought their tacos were ok but not like what we expected. We then had to hunt down our server for the check. We knew going in that this is a cash only place. What we didn't know is that they add a sneaky 10% service charge on the bill! So be forewarned and look at your check!

Best tacos in Edinburgh, great cafe atmosphere.

Had margaritas and veggie nachos Friendly staff and the food and drinks were amazing

Awful, cold bland food I asked for one beer got two my partner asked for a Mescalita and got a mescal , I read a review saying it was the best Mexican restaurant in Edinburgh it isn’t ! Don’t go

I would give it 10 stars if I could! Visited by chance in May 2023 and had the best, most authentic Mexican food outside of Mexico!! Every dish is amazing! Have the Jarritos if you’ve never tried it Staff service is amazing too - there was some billing issue with my Jarritos and the manager just let me have it on the house!

Was suggested to me by a friend at work and wow its absolutely amazing food!! Hooked now. Must learn to take a picture of my food cause this stuff is great.

Delicious, reasonably priced food with lovely service. Especially enjoyed the halloumi taco with pineapple and pickled red onion!

Very tasty. I dragged my mum here even though she was tired and she said it was very worth going. So I feel lile that is high praise.

Three different tacos and some empanadas, were all great. Fish taco was great, but the winner was the Suadero taco - amazing. Service with a smile and very quick. Deffo return.

It's definitely my favourite restaurant in Edinburgh. The food is amazing, all the staff is amazing. If you go there, the birria tacos are a must

Best Mexican food I have ever eaten. Authentic, flavourful and reasonably priced. Beats any 5 star restaurant all day long.

They don’t accept cards even tho the sign on the door clearly indicates that they do. My friend recommended me this place when I visit from London and she payed with card, it was quite disappointing that they refuse to accept card payments(I can’t use atm for cc).

Cool space. Food is fairly decent. Cash only

Fantastic food. Ordered a few different choices of Taco. All of them delicious, full of flavour.

An authentic Mexican hole-in-the-wall restaurant with heavily themed Mexican decor. The cocktails are wonderful and not very expensive. Try the Diablo. :)

Excellent! Possibly the best tacos I've had in the UK

Very tasty taco. Authentic and fun taco spot in central Edinburgh.