I love how many great cuisines you can find in Edinburgh. When it comes to Latin American food, there are some fantastic Mexican Restaurants to choose from. But some are better than others. Here’s my list of the best authentic Mexican Restaurants in Edinburgh.
Criteria for the Best Mexican Restaurants in Edinburgh
As a food tour guide in Edinburgh, I always tell my guests that I won’t take them to chain restaurants or tourist traps, so I’ll rule those out. If you want to visit Wahaca or Las Iguanas, that’s up to you. I’m also leaving Tex-Mex off this list, so no Bonnie Burrito (even though their haggis burrito is fantastic). A couple of other great Mexican restaurants in Edinburgh didn’t make this list, mainly because I haven’t frequented them enough to give a proper review.
Note that there’s no particular order to this list. It’s hard to say which of these is my favorite. My only qualm is that many have downsized their menu recently, as have quite a few restaurants in Edinburgh. There are a number of factors for this, but the remaining dishes on the menus are still fantastic, and the quality is top-notch.
I’d love to give specific details of opening times, menu items, prices, etc, but the truth is these factors change on a constant basis. Furthermore, restaurants in Edinburgh, just like most parts of the world, shut down regularly. Almost immediately after the first publication of this list, two of the five restaurants, El Cartel and Viva Mexico, closed their doors permanently.
Instead, just check them out on Google Maps:
Chorrito Cantina
Chorrito opened a few years ago as a Mexican hot sauce shop and now serves some of the best Mexican food in Edinburgh. Their hours and menu fluctuate, and they are often only open two to four days a week. When they are open, the line outside can be quite long.
On my first visit, I had far better chilaquiles than any I had in my months living in Mexico, and the home-made virgin margarita was spot on. I went back the next week for the breakfast tacos, but they had already come off the menu, replaced by delicious huevos rancheros. The menu normally only has five or six items at a time, ensuring their ability to cook every item from scratch to perfection.
Tacos Libre
Tacos Libre was started by a former chef from Viva Mexico. The menu is significantly smaller, and so is the restaurant, but the quality is just the same. Available are tacos, chimichangas, enchiladas, quesadillas, and nachos, and only one or two versions of each.
You’ll find Tacos Libre at the west end of Princes Street in Edinburgh’s New Town, just after the street turns into Shandwick Place. As mentioned, it’s small, tucked into the corner between The Ghillie Dhu and ASK Italian. At this point, I think I’ve had every dish on the menu, and I’m undecided about which is my favorite; everything is fantastic.
Paz Taqueria
Paz Taqueria is one of the newest authentic Mexican restaurants to open in Edinburgh, and already easily one of the best. Their menu is very short, featuring a couple of starters and a half-dozen or so tacos. The portion sizes are just a bit on the small side, but the prices are also better than other locations, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better taco in Edinburgh.
The restaurant itself is tiny, with room for perhaps twenty or so guests at a time. At busy times, you’ll need to make a reservation here for sure.
Bodega
Bodega Taqueria on Leith Walk has been around since 2013. The menu is small with seven starters or sides and seven tacos. Their Instagram mentions the food is Mexican-ish, as the tacos aren’t quite the same as what you’ll find on the streets of Mexico. Just think avant-garde, hipster Mexican food of the highest quality.
Vanesa and I took advantage of an amazing special – 4 of the 8 taco options for £25. With a couple of starters and two cocktails, our total bill was under £50. Quite reasonable considering the exceptional quality of the tacos. The menu is changing regularly, depending on what’s in season in Scotland. However, I must say they have some of the best fish tacos I’ve ever had, even compared to the months I spent living on the coast in Mexico.
The Basement
Finally, there’s The Basement on Broughton Street near the main bus station. It’s a true hidden gem. I only wish I had visited sooner, as they’d already taken the ceviche (Vanesa’s favorite dish) off the menu by the time I visited. However, the items that were available were amazing – easily some of the best Mexican food Edinburgh has to offer.
The Basement has one of the biggest menus on this list. I often say you should avoid restaurants with a menu that’s too long, as it means just more food going to waste or sitting in the freezer. The Basement is part of the Signature Pubs, a group of restaurants and bars in Edinburgh with better quality food than many chain pubs.
One of my favorite items at The Basement is the guacamole prepared at the table. They didn’t have a molcajete, but the flavor was good. I also had birria tacos, prepared with slow-cooked pulled beef shin, which certainly didn’t disappoint. Vanesa chose the carne asada tacos, and we then had difficulty deciding which was best.
Booking a Restaurant in Edinburgh
Nowadays, it can be a little hard to get a booking in Edinburgh with restaurants constantly changing their hours, running out of food, or being fully booked. Thankfully, you can go to OpenTable to make a reservation. What’s particularly nice with OpenTable is that there are last-minute bookings if you’re searching for a place to eat at right away.
Not all the restaurants in Edinburgh are on OpenTable, and there are a few chains and tourist traps that I wouldn’t recommend, but most of the establishments are the better options in town. Of course, these options aren’t the only restaurants Edinburgh has to offer. Stay tuned for future articles on my other favorites around the city.
Further Reading
This is part of my series of the best restaurants and meals in Edinburgh. Check out my other articles in the series:
- 30+ Best Restaurants In Edinburgh For Tourists And Locals
- 5 Best Thai Restaurants in Edinburgh that Taste Like Thailand
- Where to Find the Best Cullen Skink in Edinburgh
- 25+ Best Coffee Shops and Cafes in Edinburgh
- My First Food Tour in Edinburgh to Discover Scottish Cuisine
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