Club Mexicana in London’s Soho has been around in one incarnation or another since 2014. That’s only nine years ago, but in terms of vegan food offerings that timescale feels like a lifetime away.
Back then, in the pre-Cowspiracy days, many of us were still unable to conceive of a life without cheese omelettes, and there were far more vegetarian than vegan restaurants. Club Mexicana was established to smash the then preconceptions of plant-based food as merely lettuce and lentils, spicing up that notion by serving delicious quick Mexican food.
Originally it was part of the burgeoning street food scene in London; beginning as a supper club in a Hackney café, the founders cut their teeth by also serving great plant-based food at all the UK’s major festivals. Club Mexicana later moved to Seven Dials Market, which is focused on the notion of sustainability in eating.
Although I had sometimes walked through the invariably packed food area that is Kingly Court on a couple of occasions en route from Oxford Street heading further into Soho, I’d never thought to check out any of the food on offer in this bustling area. That was a mistake.
Club Mexicana opened its first restaurant there in August 2020, and its distinctive neon pink exterior and tables are pretty hard to miss. We were greeted by an incredibly bouncy young staff, all very keen to help and receptive to the slightest nod for assistance. We arrived at noon, when the place just had just opened and at that point it was all but empty, but just 10 minutes later, the entire court was jam packed.
It’s fast food, so tables are opening up the whole time, although it is possible to book, which I would highly recommend. The whole atmosphere around there is friendly and lively, and suitable for pretty much any group.
At that time of day there were families, groups of friends, and solo local workers who had clearly just popped in for lunch. The menu also offers an extensive range of vegan cocktails, so it would be a good place to start or end an evening out.
The food looked and tasted delicious. We started with the fully loaded nachos – a whole tray of tortilla chips, queso, ground “beef”, guacamole, pico de gallo, pink onions, pickled jalapeños, chipotle oil, with a sprinkle of chilli lime salt – which were super-colourful, piquant, and superbly spiced without being too hot. All those flavours kept you wanting to sample more, and more and even more.
Mains are predominantly tacos, bowls or wraps. I had the bowl version of the fried chick’n burrito (also available as a wrap), which, again, was an absolute delight on the eye. The presentation definitely got my mouth watering before sampling the offerings.
Desserts were ice cream or churros, but honestly, we were stuffed from the previous two courses, so the lack of choice didn’t really matter to us. In fact, my companion ended up taking home half the nachos and a good chunk of her wrap. They really do believe in healthy portions.
Overall, a great fast-food option in a buzzy area.
Bardo Burner 