Tortilla,The Strand

It’s hard to think of a time that I don’t fancy Mexican food. Whether it’s eggs in the form of huevos rancheros for breakfast, spicy fajitas, burritos, tacos, or warming chilli con carne, this is the kind of food that was made for sharing. So when I found Tortilla, a Mexican grill, I was surprised it wasn’t already on my culinary radar. Even more surprised to find out that there are in fact nine grills in London already.

Living in the capital, it’s easy to be suffocated in the avalanche of eateries that surround us. With every lunch hour turning into a round from Countdown, and that annoying ticking clock in my head pressuring me to buy the first thing I see, no sooner do I scrabble my way through the throngs of bustling office workers to end up back at my desk with a sorry-looking sandwich.

Yet light lurks at the end of my hungry tunnel, in the shape of a tortilla.Very few things bring such a genuine smile to my face as the sight of a hot, griddled round of dough; the smell, the texture and of course the endless possibilities of fillings.

Walking into Tortilla, I am instantly calm. There are no wall-to-wall fridges with ‘freshly made’ cellophane wrapped sandwiches, or limp looking boxes of sushi; just one counter and a friendly server asking me the golden question: medium or large? Now I’m hungry. Very hungry. In fact my stomach is gurgling at me to put it out of its misery. Normally there is only one answer to the aforementioned question – large of course. Then I catch the sight of what the ‘large’ tortilla will be and mistake it for the moon orbiting the Earth. So huge is its pale beauty that I decline and graciously accept a medium. So this must be what people with normal appetites feel like.

A little journey down the counter and it’s like being in art class when I was five. With such a colourful array of fresh ingredients to choose from and it all begins with the biggest decision of them all: burrito, taco or fajita? Oh Lord, now this is difficult. Caught in a ravenous tangle between telling the server to ‘surprise me’ with whatever she thinks is good and having the satisfaction of handpicking my lunch is enough to tip me over the edge. So instead, my trusty companion suggests we each have something different so we can taste each other’s? See this is why I bring him along; he can keep his cool despite his hunger.

Minutes later and we’re sitting upstairs looking out over the Strand and Trafalgar Square. The furnishings are uber chic; like walking into a John Lewis catalogue. A well balanced mix of rustic wood work and industrial steel surrounds us, with splashes of colour on the walls thanks to their quirky signs and artwork. I like.

The food is even better. Burrito one is stuffed to the max with Spanish rice, griddled peppers and onions, black beans, smokey chargrilled chicken, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and the insanely good salsa verde. Burrito two is crammed with lime cilantro rice, pinto beans, succulent braised pork, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and the fiery salsa roja. To ask me which is my favourite would just result in a panic, so just know that they went down very, very well. Accompanied by a bountiful basket of warm oven-baked tortilla chips to dip and I was, quite frankly, the happiest I had been all week. Plus, for those of you wanting a carb-free lunch, they happily offer a ‘naked’ option where all the delicious ingredients are offered in a bowl, just minus the tortilla wrap.

Now this is what I think London has been missing. Somewhere offering amazing, simple and fresh Mexican food, that’s in front of you in minutes, and costs about a fiver. Obviously take away is a popular option for those working nearby, but if you’ve got the time, I urge you to pop in, take a load off, remove your poncho and sombrero, and sit back to watch the world go by.

Tortilla
460 The Strand
Westminster
WC2R 0RG

Tel: 020 7930 0269