In partnership with

Battle of the Tacos: Trejos vs Mestizo showdown

London's Mexican food scene has exploded over the past decade, but two powerhouses now dominate the taco conversation: Hollywood bad-boy Danny Trejo's glitzy Portobello outpost versus the authentic family legacy of Mestizo. We dove deep into both to settle the ultimate question: which delivers the most soul-stirring bite?

Trejos Tacos: Hollywood Glamour vs Cal-Mex soul

Location: 299-301 Portobello Road, Notting Hill
The Story: When Danny Trejo (yes, the Machete guy) opened his first LA taqueria in 2016, he had a mission: serve "a better version of Mexican food that won't clog your arteries" using his family's generational recipes. The Portobello location, which opened in 2024, marks his first international venture—a 3,000-square-foot temple to Cal-Mex complete with underground speakeasy.

The Vibe: Enter through Portobello's bustling market atmosphere into a slick two-story space that screams West Coast cool. Tequila-stacked bar dominates the entrance, booth seating channels LA diner vibes, and that subterranean cocktail den pulses with DJ sets.

The Tacos

Carnitas (£6): Slow-cooked pork melting like butter, brightened with pineapple chunks, red onion, cilantro, and fermented hot sauce on house-made flour tortillas. Each bite balances sweet, tangy, and mildly spicy notes.

O.G. Beer Battered Fish (£7): Beer-battered cod with pineapple salsa, chipotle slaw, and vegan avocado crema. The Anthony Bourdain favorite showcases Baja-style technique with British sensibilities.

Those Instagram-famous nachos (£12) with beans, cheese, jalapeños, and chipotle crema are legitimately some of London's best. The margaritas steal the show—perfectly balanced, strong, and available frozen. Don't skip the churros, though they're more spectacle than substance.

Mestizo: Authentic Mexican heritage since 2004

Locations: Camden (101 Hampstead Road) & Chelsea (396 King's Road)
The Story: Roberto Alvarado opened his first restaurant in Mexico in 1974, brought the concept to Madrid for 16 years, then landed in London in 2005. His son Carlos now runs the Chelsea location. This is family-managed Mexican hospitality with zero compromises on authenticity.

The Vibe: Step into a genuine Mexican casa: warm terracotta tones, hand-painted tiles, and over 260 tequilas and mezcals lining the walls (officially the UK's largest collection). The Camden location pulses with energy, while Chelsea offers refined neighborhood charm. Both locations feel like authentic Mexican restaurants that happen to be in London.

The Tacos

Taco Tray (prices vary): Choose from beef, chicken, pork, and vegetarian fillings served with warm corn tortillas, letting you build your own masterpiece. The beef barbacoa is impossibly tender, the chicken perfectly seasoned, and the spicy shrimp brings authentic coastal Mexican flavors.

Fresh Corn Tortillas: Made daily, these are the real deal—slightly sweet, perfectly chewy, and warming each taco with genuine Mexican soul.

Beyond Tacos: The Sunday Mexican Buffet Brunch is legendary—unlimited traditional dishes including pozole, birria, tamales, and chilaquiles (prices vary). Their tequila flights offer education alongside intoxication, and the antojitos (Mexican tapas) provide perfect sharing plates.

The Verdict

Mestizo takes the crown for authentic Mexican soul, while Trejos wins on atmosphere and innovation. If you want to taste Mexico's heart, choose Mestizo's family recipes and traditional techniques.

If you crave LA glamour with solid Mexican flavours, Trejos delivers Instagram-worthy fun. Both serve London's Mexican food scene brilliantly—just in completely different ways.

Fact-based news without bias awaits. Make 1440 your choice today.

Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.

Sign up now!

Billy Porter’s Cabaret Controversy: Broadways Most Divisive Emcee

Billy Porter stepped into the iconic role of the Emcee in Broadway's Cabaret revival this July, but his performance has ignited fierce debate among critics and audiences about how this crucial character should be portrayed.

The Role's Legacy: The Emcee serves as Cabaret's moral center—a seductive master of ceremonies who gradually reveals the sinister underbelly of 1930s Berlin nightlife. Joel Grey originated the role in 1966, creating a haunting figure who embodies society's willful blindness to rising fascism. Alan Cumming's 1993 revival brought queer-coded sexuality that made the character's ultimate fate more personal and devastating.

Redmayne's Approach: Porter's predecessor Eddie Redmayne won an Olivier Award for his unsettling interpretation—all angular movements, expressionist dance, and marionette-like physicality that deliberately alienated audiences. Critics praised his "jagged performance" that embodied "extreme rupture between Weimar and Nazi culture," though some found it overly mannered and remote.

 Porter brings his own authenticity as the first Black actor to play the Emcee on Broadway, alongside Marisha Wallace as Sally Bowles. His interpretation emphasizes the role's contemporary relevance—both characters fled America's Jim Crow South seeking European freedom, only to face Nazi persecution. Porter isn't afraid to break the fourth wall, recently sharing on Late Night with Seth Meyers that he'll "yell at audience members" using phones during performances.

The Debate

Should the Emcee seduce audiences into complicity, or shock them into awareness? Porter's approach prioritizes visceral emotional connection over intellectual distance, reflecting his background in musical theater rather than experimental performance. The controversy reveals deeper questions about cultural ownership, artistic interpretation, and how historical trauma should be represented on contemporary stages.

The production closes October 19, making Porter's final Broadway performances essential viewing for anyone wanting to witness this cultural moment firsthand.