Please note, Boho Mexica is now closed. Time Out Eating & Drinking editors, September 2016.
Boho Mexica’s claims to authenticity rely on its domestic labour-of-love approach – chef Tía Patty, the owner’s aunt, uses recipes learnt from her mother. While a starter of bland guacamole disappointed, painstaking care showed through in another of slow-cooked beef brisket, and crispy tostadas of green plantain topped with prawns and roasted habanero peppers had us happily glugging back our cocktails.
The long, slim interior feels fresh and lively, with a bar that snakes through the whole restaurant. Cartoons of cocktail party guests on the walls reinforces the vibe of bonhomie; elsewhere it’s all mock adobe and colourful Mexican posters. The seating plan is casual, with places at the bar and even a tiny corner table for one – you could come in for tacos and a beer without feeling uncomfortable – plus a few tables set away from the chatter-filled hustle and bustle.
Mains of pulled pork enchiladas with salsa roja, and puerco enchilanchado (chilli-marinated pork with plentiful side dishes) combined belly-filling substance with vibrant flavours, but pulpos encebollados (squid and baby octopus spiked with chilli, onion and lime) was far too tart.