We found ourselves charmed by La Bodega Negra. Not everything was as you'd hope it would be, the food exhibited a range from very good to so-so, but sitting there in the Mexican themed cafe and ceviche bar, with a margarita in front of us, it did the job of indulging us to believe for a few minutes at least that we weren't just yards away from some of the busiest streets in London. Indeed, given its location and footfall they really could have put anything here and enjoyed a half decent turnover, credit to them that they are trying to do something worthwhile.

Given that we've gone a whole paragraph without mentioning the place looking like a sex shop, those who know Bodega Negra will recognise that we were in the ground floor no bookings cafe, but even with the no bookings policy, we found ourselves immediately seated for a midday lunch. The 'Dining & Lounge' area which is downstairs has a (modestly?) different menu and considerably riskier décor, and while they do take bookings, they are open for dinner only.

The menu is divided into Starters, Tacos, Tostaditas and Mains though this seemed to have little impact on the order the food came out with a plate of tacos arriving after the mains were essentially finished. This may have simply been a quirk of the moment but the place, while serious about food, is also quite relaxed so it may just be the way they go with the flow. Walls decorated with Mexican event posters, in theme music and the sound of ice bouncing around a cocktail shaker is enough make you feel that you're on holiday once seated.

Foodwise, first out is the avocado and prawn ceviche. Beyond being spicy, it was perhaps a little dull with prawn mostly lost in the mix. It is the next dish however that totally wins us over, the ceviche of tuna, chillies, coriander and lime amongst other things. Less outright spicy than the previous dish, it hits however the perfect balance with the ingredients (our waitress too said this was here favourite). It's so good that you end up saying you'd return just to eat this again, and you would.

The spit roast chicken (£16) is excellent and being half a chicken, there's a lot of it. The potatoes come ahogadas (drowned) soaking up the sauce which gives a chilli tingle but one that is not excessive. It's already a favourite. The beef however was a let down, simply because the beef lacked any sort of flavour and in a blind tasting, you really wouldn't know what you were eating. It's not as expensive (at £14) as the chicken but we wouldn't mind it costing a few extra pounds and being a whole lot better.

The cheesecake was okay but the base had soaked up the moisture denying it any crunch. The chocolate mousse sadly was hard going because it was so dense, like a paste or a glue, a fact that we're not the first to comment on. Guess they're not taking feedback on this one.

While there were some misses, nevertheless, the ceviches and the tacos mixed with a fun and lively ambience provide more than enough reasons to return. With all day dining (through till very late) and a no booking policy, if we are in the area and hungry, it will almost always be a contender for our repeat business.


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Related links

La Bodega Negra website