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An Authentic Mexican Experience: Peyotito Review

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After paying homage to our favourite cocktail, the Margarita, we decided to tail end National Margarita week with a trip to one of London’s most hotly tipped Mexican restaurants, Peyotito. As well as delving into their perfectly executed cocktail collection, we also ventured into their predominantly gluten and dairy-free menu to get a taste of the honest flavours of Mexico.

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Having sampled many a Tex-Mex menu travelling through America, it’s not easy to come across Mexican cuisine outside of Mexico which is truly accurate and it’s something I certainly find lacking in London. Well thank goodness for Peyotito and well done to them for restoring the reputation of Mexican cuisine. The menu is a far cry from burritos and chimichangas and something much more accurate to the authentic dishes of Modern Mexico without the Texan twist and it goes without saying, the drinks list is authentically Mexican too.

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Our favourite, the signature ‘Peyotito’ Margarita made with Mezcal instead of Tequila, packs a smokier punch than tequila but much more evocative of true Mexican style. You’re encouraged to sip slowly rather than knock it back and my favourite touch is that the ‘Peyotito’ Margarita contains a vial of mezcal inside your glass to add as you please or to enjoy on the side. Tajin coats the rim of the margarita which completes the well rounded flavour profile. Mezcal is much appreciated here at Peyotito with the old Mexican saying: Tequila to wake the living, Mescal to wake the dead’ emblazoned on it’s wall, gives you an idea of how to drink and dine the Mexican way and I thoroughly recommend trying some of the mescals they have on offer. Famously it’s the only spirit to not give you a hangover.

It’s the little of touches that really add class and panache to a place like Peyotito, which is the sister venue of Mayfair’s Peyote. Set in an indoor garden-like haven, you’re really a far cry from having mariachis and sombreros thrust in your face which is a rarity. On arrival you are presented with corn chips and three different accompaniments, Salsa Verde, a deeper, smokier and fiery chilli dip and a refreshing peanut dip. The chilli dip comes with a warning and with the deep flavours of Habanero which comes before the heat, it’s hard to not want to keep delving back in to experience the richness of the sauce. We recommend going for a bowl of their chunky Guacamole on the side to offset the heat.

Our waitress gave us a run down of all that was on their menu and recommended that most of the dishes are good for sharing. We were keen on trying a lot of what was on their menu and there really was a varied and mouth-watering selection. In terms of smaller dishes, they offer a couple of soups dishes, salads and crudo which is mainly comprised of sushi-grade yellowfin tuna but true to Mexican style served alongside corn, avocado and salsa. We decided to go for one of three ceviches on offer their signature dish, which is a scallop ceviche made with fresh coconut, cucumber and serrano chile. We then opted for a fish taco and a 24 hour braised lamb taco and from the mole side of the menu which means cooked in a sauce, we opted for the short rib.

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When the food arrived it’s presented with no extra frills, simple, authentic and naturally stunning. The colours of the tacos and the different ingredients just bounce off the table. The portions are reasonable, not heavy but also bursting with zesty and vibrant flavours. A real feast for your eyes, there be no heavily starchy food here covered in cheese with a side of beans. This is really impressive, honest cooking made with typical Mexican flavours and enough to transport you straight to the food carts of Oaxaca. The first thing you notice when you start your dining experience is at how fresh everything tastes and how well balanced all of the dishes are.The food is of the highest quality and this is noticeable from dish to dish. Having chosen the signature ceviche dish ‘Blanco’ it was interesting to see how the delicate flavour of scallop would be complimented but the coconut, cucumber and chile are not overbearing in the slightest. The coconut is presented as an almost delicate soup in the bottom of the shell and is just the right combination of zesty and subtle.

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Both taco dishes are presented on soft corn tacos, which I much prefer to it’s crunchy counterpart, the dishes are easily manageable with a knife and fork here. The sea bream is well cooked with a crispy skin left on and soft fish melting underneath. Bravo for our skin-on fish tacos this is much appreciated and adds an extra complementary texture to an already stand out dish. The lamb tacos are also robust in flavour bursting with a herbaceous yet smoky and sweet note; every mouthful is as divine as the last. The short rib is decadent, presented in a similar style to a beef dish you may encounter in a french bistro it’s full of the rich, chocolatey mole and served alongside seasonal veg. It personally resembled an elegant Sunday roast but with a flaky, fondant meat served with intense robust flavours of mole. After making our way through the dishes, we were happily full and well satisfied at the varied selection we had chosen but opted to go for the Flan De Vanilla to share. This baked custard dish was creamy, more-ish but still light, a theme which seems to go through all of the dishes we tried.

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If authentic Mexican dining is what you’re after with a side of London’s best Margarita, in my opinion, Peyotito is definitely the place to be. The restaurant is vibrant, attention to detail is on point and the dishes are honestly first class in terms of quality of the food, flavour and value for money. Great for a quiet date, dining alone or with a group of friends, the staff are attentive and will make sure your every need is catered for. It’s a refreshing change to a lot of Mexican restaurants I have tried in the city and also fills a gap of sophisticated Mexican dining with a much more laid back and edgy feel to it. So if a slice of authenticity is what you’re after make sure to make your rezzies at Peyotito.

Peyotito

31 Kensington Park Road, London, W11 2EU
Notting Hill, London
020 7043 1400
reservations@peyotitorestaurant.com

http://www.peyotitorestaurant.com

Celebrate National Mezcal Day at Peyotito

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It’s time to get your fiesta on because Friday 21st October is National Mezcal Day. Well “What’s Mezcal?” I hear you utter and what’s more, “why does it deserve it’s own day?” Well in the case of this very fine spirit… If you know, you’ll know! Peyotito, recently launched Mexican restaurant in West London, want us all to know about mezcal so you can celebrate with them and get to appreciate the mystery of mezcal for yourself.

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We were fortunate enough to be party to a mezcal tasting workshop in the private dining room of Peyotito and as our host explains, if tequila is the child of agave spirits then mezcal is the mother. Made for centuries throughout Mexico, for non mezcal drinkers, it can be likened to it’s companion tequila in that they are both made from agave in a process where the piñas, the heart of the agave, are cooked underground in ovens. The 7 steps to making any agave spirit remain the same, you plant, grow, harvest, cook, crush, ferment, distill it twice then bottle it. The main difference with tequila and mezcal is that in tequila, the deeply flavoured agave pulp is then discarded whereas mezcal’s fermentation and distillation process includes all the fibres and the meat. In turn, the flavour of mezcal is much richer and smokier. The quality of the spirit can really be tested when you drink each one alongside one another and really pick out the different nuances of each of the mezcal’s.

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We go from ‘Mezcal Los Dazantes’ which is a deep smoky Mezcal made from 100% Agave Espadin and reposed in French Oak, to a Mezcal so rare that only 20 bottles have been made. Produced by distillers, Los Siete Misterios, they have an assortment of mescals made by different agaves and different processes, our very rare find has been hand-made meaning the process of extracting the pulp from the agave is done manually. There are also a host of other unique milling techniques including using a horse to crush it. It is not unusual for Mezcal to have interesting production methods and most of the delight behind this spirit is that every producer has a story behind it. Many of the distilleries are small and from indigenous tribes in Mexico so this is their offering for the World to enjoy.

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Each bottle is uniquely designed to suit the mescal and the iconic Mexican illustrations laden the bottles. The method of drinking mescal is also relative, in ceremonies, mescal is drunk out of a dried fruit shell and offered around. This is a spirit made with soul, from the soul made to enrich your soul and if you’re still wondering why many of the mescals don’t have the little worm in the bottom, well, that was only a method used to differentiate tequila and mescal. We think that now the mescal really does speak for itself.

Mescal is the perfect drink in a social setting and we really loved the inventiveness Peyotito have put into their laid back restaurant. As the sister branch of Peyote in Mayfair, Peyotito have their individual identity while still offering the same great and authentic Mexican Fayre. The menu is mainly dairy and gluten-free while still retaining the earthy base flavours of Mexico. On weekends Peyotito offer up a brunch with classics such as, Huevos Rancheros and Chilaquiles Rojos. Of course, no trip to Peyotito would ever be complete without making your way through their expertly crafted drinks menu. Before we got stuck into the mescal, we were served their signature Mescal Margaritas which in true Peyotito panache was served in a tajín rimmed glass and included a vial of mescal to add as you please.

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The smokiness of the house mescal complements the sour lime and once you try this, you’ll never want to go back to a regular Margarita again. Their cocktail list is perfect for Peyotito, only offering tequila and mezcal cocktails alongside a list of wines. We recommend however, trying out some of the mezcal’s neat and we think you will be pleasantly surprised at the aromatic flavours that will compliment the vibrant dishes on the menu.

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Here’s hoping Peyotito will help to make mescal known all around town so if you’re looking for a real modern take on Mexico with the honest flavours they’ve always honoured, make those ressies now! And don’t forget, Friday 21st is National Mezcal day and Peyotito will be celebrating in true Mexican style. Arriba!

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For more info visit peyotitorestaurant.com