La Bodega Negra

I came here with a couple of friends for dinner and drinks, and it started out pretty well. Our Pisco sours were decent, and the staff seated us at the bar until a table opened up, which wasn’t long at all. The food was okay — I had the camaron tacos, and while the flavor was good, the taco shells were very disappointing. They were closer to paper than tortillas, very thin, and crumbled in your hands. It was also very loud — the three of us couldn’t hear each other even while yelling over the music.
What ruined this place for me was that one of the staff members came up to our table and told us that they’d be kicking us out soon. I could understand if we had been there for hours just wasting time and taking up space, but we hadn’t even hit the 2-​hour mark at our table, and my friend had just gotten her glass of wine when they told us our time was up. It struck me as rude and unprofessional. THEN, when we asked for the bill because we were being rushed out, it took ages to get the bill. I know it was a busy Friday night, but we had waited our turn for the table, and should have been allowed to finish our meal in peace.

Summing up our experience in the café (not restaurant) I have one word: cheese. Obviously a major part of the cuisine, but there was cheese in everything. Even in the black beans which was a big disappointment and made it too stodgy. I had the £18 8 x tacquitos, one of each of the flavours/​fillings. A nice idea but lacked individual flavour and all merged into a single taste. The best was the the crispy pork belly and also the prawn. The service was slow and inattentive, and the music was too loud for them to hear our order. Generally the prices were quite high and the food was ok but not great enough to justify them. (Visit — 13/​11/​2014 Dinner)

Overpriced, too dark and too loud! Would be fine if just going for drinks as the cocktails are amazing but we found the food pretty average and it was very overpriced. We also ordered 6 shots of vodka, when the bill came the vodka was £70 as they had given us Grey Goose and doubles without even asking us!

This place is fun, tasty and has character. I particularly enjoyed their spicy Margarita and the service was very good. The atmosphere is lively and has a grunge-​like diner feel to it. While we only had drinks and a some tortilla chips I’m keen to come back for más! Olé this is a great place to dine, hangout and get some drinks, y’all. This American Southerner in London is a fan and thinks you might be as well.

First of, all thumbs for great service and cheery smiles on a busy Saturday night. My husband, an acquaintance and myself came here after crappier food and service at Shakfuyu. I got the camaron tacos (3 for 8 quid) and he got the lamb tacos (8 as well). The acquaintance got the soft-​shell crab burger.
The camarones were quite juicy and the chipotle mayo a slightly spicy touch. My only complaint were the tortilla shells sucked. They are tiny but even worse, paper-​thin. Uhhhhh, I know good tacos and they are corn and at least semi-​sturdy. So giant fail.
My husband said his lamb had a great flavour. Not sure how the soft shell burger turned out.
The waiter was around pretty regularly for drink refills and order queries, which was greatly appreciated.

I went recently to the Café /​Cantina restaurant, which is upstairs and entered from Old Compton St (I think there’s a more intimate restaurant downstairs). The atmosphere is fantastic, and the service is brilliant (everyone super helpful, always looking to see if you need anything). The food is great — we had the Nachos, which are a cut above your regular Nachos — great fresh guacamole. Then we had steak fajitas — brilliantly spiced. This isn’t your average Mexican food, everything is well spiced and seasoned, authentic and not over-​complicated — several notches up from Wahaca.
My tip: the Churros. That dulche de leche sauce is life changing. If you love your sweets like I do, this is fantastic. The churros are prepared fresh, so the dessert takes an extra 10 mins, but if you’re sipping a house margarita, it doesn’t matter.
Would highly recommend this place, and perfect location for a drink after in soho or covent garden.

This is one of my favourite restaurants in London. It is very mysterious on your first visit as you think you are entering a sex shop through a black door, only to be greeted by a manikin.
Once downstairs it is great! A dimly lit room with its own DJ and quirky decorations. The food is delicious, and the staff are very good. They are extremely helpful when ordering, as the menu can be hard to interpret.
Enjoy a drink at the bar after your meal and sway to the music!

Good food, horrific manager. We had our reservation until 8pm, kicked us out at 7:35 for another party. Apparently that was bad timing on their part, but we have to leave because they didn’t plan for us to be there for the full time of our reservation.

Ah tacos!
I am on a constant hunt for good even decent Mexican food in London, most especially tacos, so when a friend says ‘I know a place’ my heart skips a beat only to be disappointed later. Because of this it was with low expectations that I walked into La Botega Negra a predictably decorated Mexican styled, ‘cantina. Or what most of the world considers to be ‘south of the boarder’ décor with wooden tables, distressed paint, and a bar with as many tequila bottles they can show off. Yet it was exactly what I wanted and couldn’t wait to order up, sip a margarita and try the food.
As it turned out Botega Negra was pretty darn good, The guacamole could use a bit more seasoning, but the tacos al pastor were quite satisfying and I was tempted to have another order. Always a good sign. I would definitely to back, and seeing that it is right in the middle of Soho makes for great post boozing munchies.

Came here the week it opened because of how much I loved La Esquina when I lived in New York. Sadly, I found it be more style than substance then. To my chagrin, it didn’t live up to its sister restaurant across the pond. The second time was for a birthday party and, while the bar was very crowded and it was hard to get service, the drinks were top notch. This time around, we had a large table and were treated to the tasting menu. I gotta say, they hit it out of the ball park.
I rarely order the large mains when I go to Mexican restaurants, perhaps because I am always desperate to find London’s best taco. And the quesadillas were truly in a league of their own, I must say. But the fish, chicken and beef were each exquisite in their own way. Green chile, mole, and another sauce I tragically cannot remember at the moment accompanied their proteins with delectable aplomb.
I cannot wait to go back, despite the kind of outrageous bill. Careful not to order too many margaritas, I guess. I think the restaurant space is also more enjoyable when it’s less crowded. On the other hand, the DJ, while a bit too loud to promote conversation, was outstanding, spinning a masterful mix of classic and contemporary dance, funk, R&B, disco, and pop. Again, maybe it was the margaritas, but if he is on when you go (try Fridays), don’t be dismayed; he’ll have you dancing in (and out) of your seat by the time you finish your starter.

For the first inaugural Taco Tuesday, we went to La Bodega Negra. Did the name seem eerily similar to La Bogedita del Medio which would suggest Cuban food? Sure… it’s a stretch, but a little. Was the restaurant COMPLETELY empty from noon to one? Yes… But why heed any warning signs.
Both of us went for the two course lunch menu:
* Empanada– In my experience, empanadas are not an obvious Mexican starter. I am not a food historian or anything and really like empanadas, so …
o Huitaloche — This was the vegetarian option, but for the sake of completeness we ordered it. The mushrooms, which were featured, were hearty and there was a nice spice. I didn’t know it at the time, but it would be the best part of the meal.
o Oxtail — Again, oxtail is not the meat that comes to mind when I think of Mexican food. (I am not nearly the purist that I sound). The filling had a cinnamony mole-​esq feel, that I was not all that into.
* «pastor» burrito — Thank goodness for the word meh and the Cholula on the table. The burrito was on the dry side and there. I do not say this lightly, but I think a Chipotle burrito is better.
* Chicken tacos — First off, why was fish not an option? Seems a bit (un)fishy to me. I have already used the word meh, so … I will resort to ho hum.
We discussed ordering a pitcher of Sangria but they say it’s not good to drink alone. This may indeed be a place for good drinks and a fun night out, but it is not a place for good Mexican food.

I went for a friends birthday recently– really liked it. The drinks are incredible– some od the food is great, but it’s hard to know what to choose off the menu and also to work out what the portion sizes will be like.
One thing that bugged me was the lighting being a bit too dark and the music a bit too loud– so much so you can’t talk across the table with friends. It’s also a bit expensive. I personally would just use the bar next time but maybe eat elsewhere.

So promising, yet such, such a fail.
This was my second time here and it was a markedly different experience from the first. I arrived first and sat again at the bar. Then I was WARNED by the host that I had to order food as they didn’t have an alcohol license.
I then had to flag down the laissez faire bartender to eventually order a drink. By the time my friend arrived and we had a round, the place was filling up a bit but plenty of seats still available. As we were about to order another drink, we were warned for the third time about food and asked if we were ready to order. I ordered some chips and guac and was told that we both had to order a substantial meal in order to drink there. FFS. This was not told to me by the hostess and I feel is just a heavy handed tactic by the restaurant.
We left, since I hate being pressured into anything. The bartender then cheekily told us to come back later when we were hungry, yeah, don’t hold your breath, buddy.

This place was okay. Just okay, really. Nothing exceptional, and the portions were really stingy considering how much they cost.
I had the mackerel ceviche which, for £8.00, consisted of a minuscule blob of said ceviche with a small garnishing of corn chips. It was very nice, but a ridiculously small portion for said price. I even mentioned this to the waiter, who explained that ceviche is usually served in small portions. This would have been better received had I not spent some time living in Perú, where the dish originates from — I can tell you that over there, the dish is served in far more generous portions, as well as being cheaper and more tasty.
The waiter we had was really friendly, but the service was pretty slow. There were three of us, and two of us received and had finished our food by the time the third person’s crab burger was brought over. They had obviously forgotten to order it, but to their credit, they took it off the bill for us.
I thought it was pretty cheeky how they charged us £4 for chips and dip considering we didn’t even order it — the waiter just brought it over to us, so we assumed it was complimentary.
The décor is pretty cool, like some sort of Mexico-if-you’re-off-your-face-on-coke type thing. Despite the service being slow for our table (the restaurant was very empty), according to my friend, the lead singer of some band called Marina and the Diamonds was sat opposite us, which would explain why their table was waited on with a lot more alacrity than ours.

Hahahah, what a comical evening it was last night! I had passed by the La Bodega Negra «café» a few times while passing through Soho and decided to book a place there for a reunion dinner of sorts. I was running 5mins late… the ones who arrived ahead of us called me in a completely flummoxed tone as to why I had booked to dine at a strip club. Um, say what? I hurried on quickly to figure out what damage I had unconsciously done. I eventually figured out that it was merely a theme and that it was a legit restaurant but my prudish acquaintances (not quite friends) were rather freaked out and insisted we dine at the café instead of the restaurant. It did not comfort them when I told them that the lady who took the booking asked how many men and women there would be and stated that no ties/​suits/​corporate wear was allowed.
Anyway, comedy aside, the food at this establishment looks great on the menu — authentic names, tantalising list of ingredients and sufficient degree of variety. And then it arrives on your table and you’re like, umm, sorry, where’s the rest of the food? Portion sizes are hilariously small, effectively making everything rather more expensive than it seems originally. Oh but that;s ok, I thought, bite-​sized portions but bursting with flavour, I hope. Well, it was OK I guess, but certainly not that impressive. The place suffers from over-​promising and then just ‘delivering’ (not necessarily under-​delivering) so it qualifies as strictly A-​OK (3 stars). But then we had to wait a lot for service — water, bill, change, etc so I take half a star off. So I’d say, it’s a 2.5 star place…

really tough one this. completely polarising restaurant., which i’ve avoided but was still intrigued to check out.
the food was really really good, but also half the portion size it should be, so it becomes really really expensive. bordering on taking the piss. £26 for 3 skewers of octopus/​chorizo?!? the soft shell crab taco’s were £8 for 2, so about £4 per delicious mouthful. mexicans would hang their heads in shame, this isn’t what mexican food is about.
but then just by going in here you know what you’re getting. more fool me for even bothering.
on the flip I found the service to be pleasant, and the atmosphere is fun. great music, and by the end of the meal people were dancing all over the place. rather than leave for somewhere cheaper we did end up staying for 3 rounds of £10 cocktails. take from that what you will.

So most people will probably stumble across the brightly-​lit, street-​level LBN café and stop for a Mexican fix. Fair enough. But if you fancy somewhere a bit more interesting, then for a bit more effort you want their hidden basement restaurant around the back.
By ‘effort’ I mean you’ll have to book a table in advance, and be shameless enough to walk into what looks like a sex shop complete with neon signs on the door. Luckily I’d been warned about the novelty entrance, though for a split second I still wondered if my mate was having me on when I scurried in to find a woman with a clipboard surrounded by some bizarre glass cased exhibits…
I needn’t have worried as the place goes from seedy to wellll sexy once you head down the stairs into a series of candle-​lit caves — didn’t appreciate how big the place was until I ventured to the loo! Our party of 5 got a comfy booth and I was soon sipping a Watermelon Lush — a tough choice as the cocktail list sounded pretty lush all over.
They add to the sexy secret lair atmosphere with good-​looking staff and dim lighting, though be warned this also makes the menu a bit of a squint and wasn’t ideal when fumbling around for the bracelet I managed to drop under the table (phone torch a go-​go). Probably a nice light to admire a date in I’d imagine.
Sexiness only gets them so far though; I knocked it down to 3-​stars because the food was just okay. Portions are small whilst prices are high and nothing really got me excited — choose the quesadillas over the tacos, and veggies won’t be spoiled for choice. If nothing else though I learned that chihuahua is also a cheese, not just a small dog. Who knew: P

Pretty awesome ruse of a strip club lured me in but the drinks made me stay.
I love a place that has free (with tip of course) coat check and and lively music on a monday night. So i went out on a monday, don’t judge me. Mexican-​esqe vibe, low ceilings, candles, lots of tequilas. Really chill.
The bartenders were attentive, the crowd fun and there was enough room to have your personal space but still close enough to people if need be. The music can be a bit loud, but it was otherwise really fun.
I don’t remember what I had because I just told the bartender to make me something juicy and awesome like me. and it was. Something with grapefruit and bubbles. Twas nice.

La Bodega Negra hat mich sehr überrascht. Das Restaurant befindet sich in einem alten Nightclub — man sollte vorher reservieren, sonst findet man keinen Platz. Die Location ist sehr interessant eingerichtet — die einen meinten, man sei wie in einem Piratenschiff, ich bin eher der Meinung, dass es mehr nach einer gestylten Gruft aussah… :) Ich kann das Restaurant sehr empfehlen. Das Essen, sowie das Personal top. Die Einrichtung — besser gehts nicht… & nicht mal so teuer :)

As much as I wanted to see the peep show, I couldn’t get reservations until 10PM so my friend and I settled for the café. LBN is crazy popular and always buzzing with a crowd. There weren’t any tables at the time, but there was space at the bar so we just sat there. Our bartender was friendly and I let him surprise me with a special drink. I have no clue what it was, but it was very good.
So what makes LBN cool? The atmosphere. To be honest, the food isn’t really all that great. Taste-​wise, you can do a lot better. I felt I got a little ripped off because I got 3 measly little tacos for 9 pounds. When you get Camaron tacos with only one prawn in it, it doesn’t exactly count as a substantial meal. My friend and I also decided to split a mushroom quesadilla. I wasn’t expecting much but it actually was really good. Wish I went with the quesadilla as opposed to the tacos. At least with the quesadilla, you’ll get more of your money’s worth. Although I wasn’t overly impressed with my overall experience here, I still want to check out this underground tequila peep show side of LBN.

Very, very cool and well hidden. Find it beneath loads of seedy neon and you’ve hit the jack pot!
During our visit we enjoyed…
*Camarones — Just the right amount of spice and cooked to perfection
*Bbq octopus — Not my favorite dish there but definitely good
*Rock oysters — Fresh! Well prepared will pico, a unique twist on this simple delight
*Scallop and yellow fin ceviches — Both worth a taste for sure
* Sea Bass — One of the best sea bass dishes I’ve EVER had. Done sooo very right.
* Tacos — Small but ridiculously good. They come in a very ingenious serving tray.
I am originally from Austin, TX and this place reminded me a bit of home. The interior is very well done and the food is great so I definitely recommend trying it for yourself!