Food was needed after our look around Shakespeare's Globe and as usual MOH had a virtual list of places nearby that we should try. And if I'm honest, a virtual list is being kind, usually the conversation goes something like this: you know the place, I showed it to you when it was in the paper [six-nine-ten weeks-months ago] and I think it's around here somewhere, do you remember it's name?
Thankfully though this time we had the name of the restaurant, they type of cuisine and a road name too. We were in with a chance of actually finding it. The other thing that usually happens is that it's so hip and trendy, that everyone else is there too and there's either a queue to get in or a wait for a table that's in hours, not minutes. So I never really get my hopes up, as by the time we've decided to hunt a restaurant down, I want food and it's close to a "feed me now" moment.
We were luck though. We arrived and there was a table outside that we could sit at, so we did. Less than a quarter of an hour later a queue started to develop...
It was great to sit outside amidst the hubbub of life in Borough Market, and it was equally as great to see the hubbub of the market again after its closure following the recent terrorist attack.
It was another of those restaurants that serves small plates which are ideal for sharing. But also the type of restaurant where you're never sure quite how much to order either. And if you're wondering what type of cuisine, then it's a taqueria, so plenty of tacos, tostadas and quesadillas as well as carafes of mezcal (think tequila but different). I can't tell you the difference, but my mezcal negroni was very nice and well, potent, and sadly I stopped at one...
There were plenty more tacos though as we had another round of ordering once we'd eaten the first lot, and unusually for me I skipped pudding, and that was before I'd bought a cake in the market, although there was always a *small* chance this would happen, so I wasn't missing out really.
And of course I wondered what the loos would be like, so off I went with my camera phone in hand.
I wasn't disappointed.
Yes, that's the wallpaper. Modern art and magazine covers styled into a wall covering that certainly matched the personality of the restaurant. Industrial lighting complemented the bold decor in the small space. It's a perfect of example of how being bold in a small space can really work.
And if the loos weren't enough of a treat, as I left and had a look around the restaurant, on my left were these crittall-style art-deco type doors. I suspect originals, and definitely rather fabulous.
What do you think about bold decor in small spaces? Do you need to be brave, and are you brave enough?