UPDATE: July 18, 2010
A few changes to the list. I'm still working on this so the newly opened places such as Flying Burritos and Chipotle will be featured soon...
A quick list of places in London that do a good burrito.
Scroll down for:
THE BEST = eat here, right now!
THE VERY GOOD = eat here and enjoy.
THE GOOD = eat here.
THE MEDIOCRE = hmm, what else is nearby?
THE BAD = go hungry!
THE UNKNOWN= no comment ... but only because I've not been there yet!
Scroll to the bottom for an unrelated section:
OUTSIDE TOWN = if you're out of London, try these.
COMING SOON = come back for more info
Places shown within sections are in alphabetical order, not order of preference...
This is work in progress -- places may go up and down.
Remember: This is all about real burrito places! You won't find Chiquito's on this list!
THE BEST
CHILANGO
- Upper St, Islington
- Fleet St, Temple
- Bluewater, Greenhithe
There's also an exiled Chilango up at Meadowhall, Sheffield.
Chilango are almost always good and manage to keep consistent quality the majority of the time. They have an absolutely fantastic brand which makes for colourful, fresh restaurant interiors. The hot (spicy) salsa rarely disappoints and my only real wish is that their burritos could be a tad bigger. The people behind Chilango are a nice bunch too!
More Chilango's are opening up soon. Keep an eye out for free burritos giveaways on opening day!
Follow Chilango on Twitter: @Chilango_uk
DADDY DONKEY
- Leather Lane, Holborn
Overall, is this the best burrito in London?
I think so but there are people out there who'd like to convince me otherwise...
Daddy Donkey is the best street food vendor in London. Fact. No contest! That also means that they are also the best burrito street food vendor in London. But are Daddy Donkey's burritos the best in London?
Based on a the fantastic gastronomic experience of a 'double-meat' chicken burrito with extra hot salsa I would have to say yes! A really high quality burrito joint that is quite simply world class street food. Not having a permanent home does unfortunately limit trading hours though. Daddy D's are only around between 11am-3pm on weekdays only. I don't work nearby so my visits have had to be fitted around meetings and days off!
For now my opinion is that this is the place to go for that elusive #1 burrito. I won't end my search for a 'better' burrito that easily though. Daddy Donkey sure do serve a "kick ass" burrito but things can always get better......
Follow Daddy Donkey on Twitter: @DaddyDonkey
PONCHO NO.8
- Steward St, Spitalfields
I've now been to Poncho No.8 three different times and have been very impressed. In fact so impressed that I have now moved them up to join Chilango in The Best category. When you go, do avoid them in the middle of lunch time though as office workers in the area know a good thing when they see one. Poncho do a mean burrito and have a good selection of salsas. They are also in the minority of places that do a barbacoa burrito. I have tried the chicken and the pork and would happily recommend both.
Poncho No.8's hours remain rather limited but they are now also open on Sundays.
WAHACA
- Canada Square, Canary Wharf
- Chandos Place, Covent Garden
- Westfield London, White City
A respected and highly-rated trio of Mexican restaurants that definitely has the potential to go nationwide. With a forward thinking team including co-founder and chef Thomasina Miers, Wahaca does Mexican very well. The first Wahaca opened in Covent Garden (good luck getting in there at the busiest times of day!) followed by restaurants in Westfield London and at Canary Wharf. The latter of which is particularly well situated for the lunchtime office market.
Wahaca's burritos are good but being a sit-down waiter service place the options for personalisation are more limited than what I like. That's probably just me though. The toasted burritos are actually really nice - that surprised me! I highly recommend Wahaca but I'll usually go for one of their other options over a burrito. Though that is mainly due to the high quality of the menu -- think (fish!) taco, quesadilla or tostada -- rather than anything else.
THE VERY GOOD
TORTILLA
- Upper St, Islington
- Southwark St, Bankside
- North Colonade, Canary Wharf
- Market Pl, nr. Oxford Circus
Really good place which more or less gets it right. The large burrito is of a decent size and when it's good, it's really good. Tortilla do seem to struggle with consistency somewhat and I find that it's not always as good as it could be. The newest openings at Canary Wharf and Oxford Circus have nice interiors too which creates a nice environment to enjoy a quick burrito.
The Southwark Street Tortilla is the most conveniently situated London burrito place for me -- thanks for realising that there is a whole world SOUTH of the river guys! -- and so is also my most frequented.
THE GOOD
BENITO'S HAT
- Goodge St, Fitzrovia
- New Row, Covent Garden
Nice place on Goodge Street that has a loyal following. I've heard this described as best in London a number of times but I do not agree. The ingredients do not seem as fresh as some other places and I'm no fan of salsa coming out of a squeezy bottle.
Don't get me wrong. This place almost certainly won't disappoint, however it doesn't have the wow factor of some of the places above. It's the little things (like the salsa) that make a place for me. The really good thing about Benito's Hat though is their complementary handful of tortilla chips. Standard fare in Mexican places in California, quite unusual for London.
A second place opens up in Covent Garden soon which will hopefully raise the bar.
BURRITO BROS
- Clerkenwell Rd, Farringdon
I quite like this place -- I think!
For some reason I wasn't able to form a proper opinion based on my one visit. That could have been because I consumed my burrito whilst walking between Barbican and Moorgate!! It seemed quite good, but more like Benito's Hat than Tortilla or Chilango. I will be back here sometime for another try.
NINETEEN-TEN
- Westfield London, White City
There's also a Nineteen-Ten at Westfield Merry Hill, Dudley
The burritos from this shopping-mall outlet come out pretty good! They are quite small though and consistency of quality seems to be quite a problem. Not a bad place to grab a burrito whilst shopping. Both Nineteen-Ten locations (including the one in the West Midlands) are located in Westfield centres.
THE MEDIOCRE
LUARDO'S
- Whitecross St, St Luke's
Street-food van serving burritos on weekday lunchtimes only. My one visit was not good with 'hot' salsa consisting of a drizzle of Tabasco sauce! I hope I went on a bad day... Other reviews suggest that this place is pretty good.
This is one place I will have to return to in order to get a 2nd opinion.
THE BAD
MEXICALI
- Berwick St, Soho
They may or may not still be open in Notting Hill and Chelsea
A bit of a joke. The actual restaurant looks quite nice but I found everything else about it poor. The staff seemed disinterested and the quality of the food just wasn't there. In Mexicali you order at the counter and they put the burrito together behind a screen! The food is then brought to you at the table.
Taste wise the food wasn't a complete disaster but there's just no point eating here. Too many good quality places nearby.
www.mexicali.co.uk - no longer working.
WHOLE FOODS MARKET
- Kensington High St, Kensington
Don't go! No good. Avoid. Not a burrito. A joke!
Nuff said?
THE UNKNOWN
FREEBIRD
- Exmouth Market
- Goodge Pl
- Rupert St
Another trio of street food places that I've not yet tried.
The reviews I've read seem pretty positive.
OUTSIDE TOWN
BARBURRITO
- Manchester & Liverpool
I think Barburrito were the first to bring a Chipotle style burrito experience to the UK. They have an expanding network of restaurants in Manchester and one in Liverpool. I have been to the Liverpool place once and thought it was ok.
UPDATE: JULY 2010 -- I have subsequently been to Liverpool again and to the original store in Manchester. Overall this place is disappointing. Just mediocre.
ILLEGAL JACK'S
- Edinburgh, Scotland
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the burrito has made it north of the border! Next time I'm in Edinburgh I will check them out. Illegal Jack's ... gotta love that name!
UPDATE: JULY 2010 -- I have tried Illegal Jack's and am pleased to report that it is possible to get a good burrito in Scotland. More soon.
NANNAMEXICO
- Cambridge
Not tried this place yet. I know it's in Cambridge, but I not not much else...
THE MISSION
- Oxford and Reading
A good quality place with a great hot salsa. I have tried the Reading restaurant and was quite impressed. If you're in either cities, do check them out.
UPDATE: JULY 2010 -- Went to Oxford (8/10) and Reading again (7/10). The Mission are on to a good thing. More soon.
COMING SOON
CHIPOTLE
- Charing Cross Rd, nr St Giles' Circus
The US burrito giant is coming to the UK. The first European Chipotle is due to open on Charing Cross Road soon...
UPDATE: JULY 2010 -- Chipotle is here! More soon.
