Please note, Te Amo is now closed. Time Out Food & Drink editors, Oct 2016.
‘Te amo’ means ‘I love you’ in Spanish, so you might be forgiven for thinking that a new tapas joint has opened in Kentish Town. But you’d be wrong. Despite the name, this place is not Spanish but Middle Eastern. And it’s seriously good.
Te Amo bravely occupies a space that has brutally crushed three other restaurants in living memory. It might be too early to predict success where others have failed, but the Lebanese owners of Te Amo are certainly doing things right on the quality front. Kebabs are the real thing, the equal of the better-known E Mono up Kentish Town Road, but much more varied.
The dining room at the back is comfortable, and there are proper main dishes (meat and fish) as well as wraps. Even though the restaurant is cheap and informal, the food here displays a fastidious commitment to high standards. Seasonings are subtle. Pickles are great. Even the falafel is deftly executed, light and airy rather than dense and dry. There’s plenty to love about Te Amo.