Eat & Drink
Originally published on Thursday, 5th April 2012
La Bodega Negra
Fun-fuelled Mexican on Old Compton Street
9 Old Compton Street, W1D 5JF
0207 758 4100
Location
Sex shop? Peep show? By now you’ve probably heard that the front of La Bodega looks less than traditional – and if you’re familiar with its heritage (one of the owners was behind La Esquina in NYC) then this will come as no surprise. Pass under the ‘COME’ sign (yes, we know), get past the bouncer and descend into the hacienda-style basement.
Décor/ Vibe
This could be our favourite dining room in London right now. Dark, sultry, candlelit, buzzy, hip hop beats at a healthy level and a great front bar – this is as good as it gets for a great night out. We REALLY needed a place like this in London - and the Old Compton Street location suits the restaurant perfectly.
Flavours
Here it’s more about drinks, atmosphere and décor than food, but the menu is surprisingly good. Faves included tuna, avocado, chipotle, jalapeno tostaditas and mixed seafood and rice cazuela. Drinks were good (as you’d expect) – we stuck with the original margarita on the rocks with salt, but there were tamarind, watermelon and passion fruit versions on offer (and frozen grapefruit which should be left to the American tourists).
Upshot
This place is FUN. We like the café on Moor Street – casual booth dining with no reservations, a central bar and a raw bar coming soon – but the subterranean restaurant is where you’ll find us. We hear there’s already been some great parties here too, so if you need us, we’ll be at La Bodega Negra. If we can get in…
