The best tacos in London

Probably one of the most hotly anticipated openings over the past few months, Breddos Taqueria is the first bricks-and-mortar site from beloved Street Feast traders Nud Dudhia and Chris Whitney. The duo promised authentic Mexican cuisine and rare mezcals, and boy did they deliver, wth a couple of new dishes thanks to a wood-fired grill and additions to the taco-focused menu. What to expect? Things you've probably not eaten before – clam and sea urchin aguachile (Mexican-style ceviche) tostadas; Baja fish tacos with pico de gallo and cabbage; and masa-fried chicken with habanero sauce. Genuinely mouthwatering.

See those tacos in the photo up there? Don't they look delicious? We can assure you they taste as good as they look, too – and they hide a secret: they're 100% vegan. A lovely lady called Meriel Armitage was frustrated at the lack of creative vegan food available, and her solution was to set up Club Mexicana, serving vegan dishes that leverage all the flavours of authentic Mexican cuisine to great effect. There's the Al Pastor taco, made with jackfruit – which has the same consistency and knack for holding on to flavour as pulled pork – and 'to-fish' (tofu, with pickled red cabbage, salsa verde and chipotle chilli oil), as well as 'chorizo' and potato tacos, made with pico de gallo. Good news, too, as the street-food stand has just taken up a permanent residency at hip Dalston joint Pamela. 

See those tacos in the photo up there? Don't they look delicious? We can assure you they taste as good as they look, too – and they hide a secret: they're 100% vegan. A lovely lady called Meriel Armitage was frustrated at the lack of creative vegan food available, and her solution was to set up Club Mexicana, serving vegan dishes that leverage all the flavours of authentic Mexican cuisine to great effect. There's the Al Pastor taco, made with jackfruit – which has the same consistency and knack for holding on to flavour as pulled pork – and 'to-fish' (tofu, with pickled red cabbage, salsa verde and chipotle chilli oil), as well as 'chorizo' and potato tacos, made with pico de gallo. Good news, too, as the street-food stand has just taken up a permanent residency at hip Dalston joint Pamela. 

The long-awaited restaurant from lawyer-turned-meat guru Neil Rankin, Temper is all about that holy trinity of meat, smoke and fire. The room itself boast enormous fire pits, which you can smell the moment you enter: this isn't a restaurant for the meat-shy. But despite these grand flourishes, there was an unexpected star of the show – tacos. Oh, the tacos. Little nibbly bits before you get onto the crux of the meal, but are so moreish that you sit up and take notice. There's soy-cured beef; crab and pickled-onion pork skin; aubergine and chipotle miso... The list goes on. There's a list of sauces and sprinkles, too, so you can play with different flavour combinations to your heart's content. Well done, Temper, well done.

The long-awaited restaurant from lawyer-turned-meat guru Neil Rankin, Temper is all about that holy trinity of meat, smoke and fire. The room itself boast enormous fire pits, which you can smell the moment you enter: this isn't a restaurant for the meat-shy. But despite these grand flourishes, there was an unexpected star of the show – tacos. Oh, the tacos. Little nibbly bits before you get onto the crux of the meal, but are so moreish that you sit up and take notice. There's soy-cured beef; crab and pickled-onion pork skin; aubergine and chipotle miso... The list goes on. There's a list of sauces and sprinkles, too, so you can play with different flavour combinations to your heart's content. Well done, Temper, well done.

When a pair of restaurateurs has the likes of Quo Vadis and cult restaurant Barrafina on their CV, you know that whatever they turn their hand to is likely to be very, very good. So it's with excitement that the food industry greeted El Pastor, the latest project from Sam and Eddie Hart, their younger brother James, and their long-time friend Crispin Somerville. The site is named after the 'al pastor' taco, a staple in Mexico City, which has its roots in the Arab shawarma and uses pork rather than lamb, marinating the meat in dried chillies, spices, achiote and orange juice, and swapping the flatbread for corn tortillas. Talk about culture clash. It's this shawarma-taco hybrid that El Pastor recreates, putting its own spin on the marinade, and grinding and nixtamalising corn to bake its tortillas onsite each day. There's also homemade salsas, tequila and plenty of Mexican-inspired cocktails. We've even heard that there may be a secret room containing shelves of contraband mezcal hidden somewhere within the restaurant... 

When a pair of restaurateurs has the likes of Quo Vadis and cult restaurant Barrafina on their CV, you know that whatever they turn their hand to is likely to be very, very good. So it's with excitement that the food industry greeted El Pastor, the latest project from Sam and Eddie Hart, their younger brother James, and their long-time friend Crispin Somerville. The site is named after the 'al pastor' taco, a staple in Mexico City, which has its roots in the Arab shawarma and uses pork rather than lamb, marinating the meat in dried chillies, spices, achiote and orange juice, and swapping the flatbread for corn tortillas. Talk about culture clash. It's this shawarma-taco hybrid that El Pastor recreates, putting its own spin on the marinade, and grinding and nixtamalising corn to bake its tortillas onsite each day. There's also homemade salsas, tequila and plenty of Mexican-inspired cocktails. We've even heard that there may be a secret room containing shelves of contraband mezcal hidden somewhere within the restaurant... 

Corazón epitomises London's modern Mexican restaurant: glossy and chic, with a menu devoted to sleek cooking that merges authentic Mexican dishes and ingredients with British staples – we particularly like the idea of the 'Farm to Taco', with roast parsnip purée, Brussel sprouts and salsa borracha (aka drunken salsa, made with the boozy, fermented juice of the agave plant). Elsewhere, there are tostadas with Brixham crab or yellowfin tuna; a chicken 'BLT' taco; and esquites, grilled sweetcorn that's stripped from the cob and served with spicy guajillo mayo and light, fresh-tasting cows' cheese.

Corazón epitomises London's modern Mexican restaurant: glossy and chic, with a menu devoted to sleek cooking that merges authentic Mexican dishes and ingredients with British staples – we particularly like the idea of the 'Farm to Taco', with roast parsnip purée, Brussel sprouts and salsa borracha (aka drunken salsa, made with the boozy, fermented juice of the agave plant). Elsewhere, there are tostadas with Brixham crab or yellowfin tuna; a chicken 'BLT' taco; and esquites, grilled sweetcorn that's stripped from the cob and served with spicy guajillo mayo and light, fresh-tasting cows' cheese.

We bet Thomasina Miers is feeling pretty smug right now: she called 2016 as being the year of the taco. And she should know – when she first set up Wahaca, she taught London a thing or do about the incredible flavours of Mexican cuisine. So we have a lot to thank her for, really. And we've got something else to thank Miers for: Taco Tuesdays at Wahaca, where your first portion of tacos  is just £1. Yes, really. Go go go!

We bet Thomasina Miers is feeling pretty smug right now: she called 2016 as being the year of the taco. And she should know – when she first set up Wahaca, she taught London a thing or do about the incredible flavours of Mexican cuisine. So we have a lot to thank her for, really. And we've got something else to thank Miers for: Taco Tuesdays at Wahaca, where your first portion of tacos  is just £1. Yes, really. Go go go!

For a taste of Mexico's legendary fiestas without setting foot on a plane, head to North West London's Mestizo, which promises party vibes and authentic cuisine. There's a whole menu of flavour-packed dishes, but we always head straight for the taco section, where we drool over the cochinita pibil (spiced pulled pork), pollo con mole (chicken with that rich, chocolatey sauce) and nopales (grilled cactus leaf with proper, Mexican-style queso fresco), among other mouthwatering options. The restaurant even does taco Thursdays, and has an annual tamales festival – which is dedicated to another traditional Central American dish: corn dough cooked in corn husks, served with a selection of different toppings. Oh, and there's plenty of tequila and mezcal, too.

For a taste of Mexico's legendary fiestas without setting foot on a plane, head to North West London's Mestizo, which promises party vibes and authentic cuisine. There's a whole menu of flavour-packed dishes, but we always head straight for the taco section, where we drool over the cochinita pibil (spiced pulled pork), pollo con mole (chicken with that rich, chocolatey sauce) and nopales (grilled cactus leaf with proper, Mexican-style queso fresco), among other mouthwatering options. The restaurant even does taco Thursdays, and has an annual tamales festival – which is dedicated to another traditional Central American dish: corn dough cooked in corn husks, served with a selection of different toppings. Oh, and there's plenty of tequila and mezcal, too.