What's the draw:
If fajita Fridays with friends is your jam, then El Pastor should be right at the top of your list of places to visit next. Things are a little snug in the buzzing archway restaurant, but that just means there's less space between you and the plates of tacos, piled high with fillings like deliciously soft chipotle- and cumin-spiced chicken and flakey chargrilled stonebass, to name a few.
What to drink:
Most of the spirits on the drinks menu are straight outta North America, of course. Don't miss the Negroni El Pastor, where Italy meets Mexico in a smoky and refreshingly bitter concoction of mezcal, Casa Mariol vermouth and Campari.
What to eat:
Two tacos per portion means you can order almost the entire menu and divide the offerings up between the table. There's no need for cutlery – it's all about that hands-on, get-stuck-in vibe that feels like it's lifted straight from the street food stalls of Mexico and deposited on the doorstep of London's Borough Market. Start with a spicy soap de tortilla (admittedly, cutlery might be needed to really enjoy this: it's a Mexican tomato soup, which is served with crunchy totopos chips and chunks of fresh avocado mixed with creamy queso fresco cheese). Even if you're not in the mood for sampling the whole menu, don't sidestep the house special: the Al Pastór – melty pork shoulder that's been marinated for 24 hours and tossed up with caramelised pineapple on nutty blue Mexican nativo corn tortillas. Finish with the E.P. Bounty Bar, a coconut shortbread coated in chocolate and finished with a zing of zesty lime.
Tacos from £6.50 for two; wine from £3.75 by the glass. 6-7A Stoney St, SE1 9AA; tacoselpastor.co.uk
