London restaurateur Will Ricker (Great Eastern Dining Rooms, Cicada
and Eight over Eight to mention a couple) recently teamed up with Serge Becker
(New York nightclub guru and owner of Mexican eatery La Esquina in New York) to launch the eagerly
anticipated ‘La Bodega Negra’. And launch it they did....
Nestled in Soho’s Old Compton Street, you’ll find La Bodega’s
entrance is not your average…..behold!
Look for the eyes,
and you’ve reached your destination. The entrance feels reminicint of Cyber Dog
in Camden, I’m not sure whether that is good or bad, but who cares, there are Margaritas to be had!
As you descend into
the main restaurant, you are greeted by a couple of gorgeous hostesses who are
more than happy to get you a seat at the bar and order your first drink in for
you while you wait...(service!) I went for a Margarita on the rocks and it was probably one of
the nicest margarita’s I’ve had in a very long time. They serve it frozen, straight on the rocks and probably any other which way you fancy....ooh eer misses.
The restaurant doesn’t
feel too stuffy or poncy which is always my worry with the latest ‘hot spot’ – this place is as much a bar as it is a restaurant and people really should be
down there getting their tequila on (we certainly did!)
We were seated at a lovely
corner table and the waitress immediately advised that we had some sesame
tostadas with guacamole while we browsed the menu. The tostadas were delicious
and unbelievably moreish, so naturally, we got some more. The guacamole was pretty heavy on the garlic, but being a garlic addict it didn’t bother me at all.
Next up – our main
course. We went with a mix of things, but the ones that stuck out for me were
the prawn tacos. These come in a wooden rack that holds 4 soft shell bite sized
tacos that are so packed full of flavour that you can’t help but scoff the lot.
Would I say it was the best Mexican taco I had ever had? Probably not, but it was different and up there as a top scorer.
Next up – the show
stealer. The humble scallop. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I recoil in
horror at the idea of having to eat anything with a weird texture (bananas, silken tofu etc) So, eating a raw scallop ceviche wasn’t really filling me with the joys of
spring…but I love sushi, so how bad could it be?
It arrived.
On Ice.
In a shell.
Gleaming in the
candle light.
All uncooked and menacing.
It was marinated in
mango and jalapeno.
This wasn’t making
me feel better about the situation.
I looked at it.
It looked at me.
It looked at me.
We decided there was
only one thing for it.
Consumption.
‘So’ I hear you cry…’What
did it taste like weird-food-reviewer-girl-who-doesn’t-like-weird-textures’.
Honestly? It felt
like how I imagine eating a raw chicken breast would feel….but it was so
farking delicious, I hardly remember the feeling of dread I had as it
approached my mouth (gag reflex, nuff said) fresh, spicy and unlike anything I would
normally shovel into my cake hole. I am officially a ceviche convert. Sign me
up for another one of those bad boys pronto. Delicious.
After a few more
heady margaritas, we decided dessert was still on the cards. What did we go
for? Chocolate fondant of course. It was served with mole ice cream (no, not a
critter) but a Mexican concoction that sort of tasted like marmite at first,
but I am convinced that was the tequila playing tricks on me. I believe it’s a
mix of cinnamon, vanilla and some sort of dried pepper. It’s an acquired tasted,
but I liked the cut of its jib. The fondant was perfect...the 3 second rule applies here and it passed with flying colours.
Overall – a great atmosphere, great music, good food but better drinks. Attentive staff who know their menu like the back of their hand. We're sold.
Good for – dates; glam client lunches; see and be seen (Prince Harry has been papped dining here after all); and a girly night out.
Bad for – Prudes.
£ - about £40 a
head (without booze)
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