Each year on the 1st and 2nd of November, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in Mexico and by Mexicans across the world. It is a time for joyfully remembering loved ones who have passed away, with many communities observing local
Each year on the 1st and 2nd of November, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in Mexico and by Mexicans across the world. It is a time for joyfully remembering loved ones who have passed away, with many communities observing local customs that combine indigenous traditions with Catholic ones. One of the most popular is the altar of ofrendas (offers to the dead of their favourite food and drink), a beautiful example of which will be visible all week at Casa Morita, the new Mexican restaurant across from the Voodoo shop in Brixton Market. Opened a couple of months ago by Carlos Figueroa Gonzalez and Sarahgwen Sheldon, Casa Morita has already established itself as one of London’s most authentic Mexican eateries. The seasonal menu features simple, traditional dishes from Gonzalez’s hometown of Mexico City, including delectable taco fillings such as the satisfying chorizo, guacamole and coriander, and the rich and chocolaty mole con pollo – made with a traditional sauce of over 30 ingredients. In East London, chef Erick Medina has been head of the Mexican kitchen at Off Broadway for the last six months. A hugely popular bar on Broadway Market serving exquisite mescal margaritas, their menu balances Tex Mex favourites like burritos and nachos, with Mexican classics including some of the city’s best tamales, and menudo, a thick tripe soup known for its restorative qualities. Medina also holds Mexican pop-up dinners at other venues throughout the year.
After starting life as the Cool Chile Company in Borough Market (where they still have a stall selling Mexican groceries), the Taqueria on Westbourne Grove has been serving some of London’s best tacos (and margueritas) since 2005, including the buttery carnitas pork, and the puntas albañil, perfectly-seasoned skirt steak with smoky bacon. Buen Provecho, a weekday stall on Lower Marsh Street market, also serve some of our favourite tacos, and specialise in entomatadas, a flatbread covered in meat or vegetables, with rice, beans, salsa, sour cream and guacamole. For the next couple of days, the well-established Mestizo near Euston will be celebrating both Dia de los Muertos and their own mole festival, serving up a selection of mole sauces from different regions of Mexico. On the regular menu, Mestizo’s birria (lamb stew) is rich and flavoursome, and the ensalada de nopales (cactus leaf salad) is crisp and satisfying, while another house speciality, the Molcajete "Mestizo", is an impressive dish of beef and chicken served in a stone bowl with cheese, chorizo and fresh avocado.
In South London, Tacuba bar and Mexican street food kitchen, run by brothers Arturo and Jorge Escalante, offer a selection of traditional dishes, including an appetisingly bitter mole that is well-paired with a fresh watermelon cocktail. In about a month’s time they will be setting up Mex Way, a new burrito counter at the pop-up Boxpark shopping centre opening near Shoreditch station.
For now, our longstanding favourite Tex-Mex spot is Benito’s Hat—Goodge Street, Covent Garden, Oxford Circus—where partners Filipe Fuentes Cruz and Ben Fordham have been making London’s best burritos for the last three years. Well-spiced, slowly-marinated meat, perfectly cooked beans and fresh toppings - our favourite is the pork. For Dia de los Muertos they will be serving up pan de muerto (bread made for the occasion) with Mexican spiced hot chocolate, and skull-shaped chocolate bites. If you want to hold your own Dia de los Muertos celebration, you can find all the appropriate skull molds, skeleton dioramas, traditional and contemporary decorations and original art at Casa Mexico, the Mexican import and grocery shop in Bethnal Green.
Text by Ananda Pellerin
Ananda and Neil regularly visit Mexican restaurants, stalls and counters across London.
Ananda Pellerin is a London-based writer and Neil Wissink is a visual artist also based in London. More from The Hunger here, and contact The Hunger here.
