Holy Guacamole! Brighton’s Most Mexcellent Mexican Joints

Pakal Taco Bar offers a properly authentic Mexican dining experience that's bursting with fresh, zingy ingredients to make your palate dance and your feet want to join in in celebration. A family-run restaurant, now dishing up at The Corner Cafe in Kemptown, Pakal dishes up traditional dishes in the taquiza party style, where gorgeous fillings and dishes are prepared in advance, then served up inside soft corn tacos. The tacos are the perfect vessel for delivering these mouthwatering fillings straight to your mouth, and there's a luscious selection of freshly made side dishes to accompany things. It's vibrant, it's fun, and most importantly, it's tasty as hell. Taco all your friends and have a properly good feast (sorrynotsorry).

Read more about Pakal Taco Bar @ The Corner

Tlaloc is a new Mexican Restaurant based in Oseta Cafe, that are skipping all the stereotypes of Mexican food. No Sombreros and burritos allowed here! Owners Joan and Daniel are taking an innovative approach to Mexican cuisine - combining traditional traditional flavours and techniques with local British ingredients to create a sophisticated and unique menu. All the dishes are gluten wise and all their veggie options are also vegan.

Read more about Tlaloc @ Oseta Cafe

La Choza is renowned for having the best Mexican food in the city. Named one of the UK’s best ‘cheap eats’ by the Guardian, the award winning street food restaurant specialises in quality, authentic Mexican food in a day-of-the-dead themed setting, which is eye-catchingly garish at the same time as memorably stylish. With two locations in Brighton, you can head to their restaurant in the North Laine or enjoy a burrito over a drink in The Hare & Hounds pub. Choose your base - standard Mexican fayre of fresh tacos, burritos and quesadillas, authentically prepared (owners Aoife and Annie regularly return to Mexico for fact-finding missions) - then add your fillings (the chorizo & chicken is a firm favourite amongst Crispy Fresh Fish, Pulled-Pork and King Prawns Chilli Lime) and finally decide on how spicy you want your salsa to be, ranging from the delicate Pico de Gallo to the fiersome Xxxtra Hot Naga Salsa. Don’t overlook dessert, churros are a must-have here.

Read more about La Choza

If you’re looking for authentic Mexican street food, ​then call off the search party. This place is Mexican owned, with Carlito himself at the helm. Born from a festival stall, Carlito Burrito serves up delicious Tacos, Burritos and Quesadillas made with the freshest of ingredients. It’s no wonder The Guardian voted their food amongst the best available at Glastonbury ‘14. There’s a hefty range of Tequilas, Mezcals, and Mexican Craft Beers to sample, and even an Oyster and Tequila Shooter for more adventurous diners. Friendly staff, unbeatable food and fantastic music makes this hidden gem a must-visit for all Brightonians. The fish tacos may well change your life, güey.

Read more about Carlito Burrito

Brighton’s newest addition to the Mexicana food scene is the already raved about Halisco. They’ve taken over the former Vineyard Steakhouse to bring mouthwatering tacos to the mouths of us hungry Brightonians. Grab a seat under the tongue-in-cheek Trump mural and peruse their selection of mexcellent mains. The crispy beer battered haddock tacos are a real winner, we’re also all about the slow braised short rib and brisket burrito with jack cheese, garlic crema and fire roasted poblano chilli. There’s plenty of decent vegan and gluten free options too. Brothers, Ismaeel, who spent 6 years in Mexico honing his skills, and, Mo, formerly of The Set, run the restaurant together to create a small plate dining experience that customers can really get their teeth stuck into. Pair your plates with a handpicked cocktail for a truly juan-derful flavour.

Read more about Halisco

Wriggle your way over to the Marwood Bar & Coffeehouse today and you'll find a true culinary treat in the form of Wolfsmouth and their delicious tacos. Forget tacky tex-mex and nasty cheap salsa dips though – because these are not just any tacos. Wolfsmouth are raising the bar with their fabulous street food inspired pop-up dining concept, designed by chefs Will Dennard and Jack Southan. Expect tempura mushrooms, confit duck legs, smoked watermelon and much much more...

Read more about Wolfsmouth Tacos @ Marwoods

DeadGood Burrito is a Brighton based Mexican street food business who're knocking out some of the tastiest burritos in town. You’ll find them at Street Diner on Fridays or at some of the UK’s biggest festivals and events - Glastonbury, Bestival and Brighton Marathon. All their meats are marinated for 24 hrs in a homemade sauce and then chargrilled for an authentic street food flavour. There are some top-notch options for the plant-based too. These guys have built up a cult following in the South and were even voted ‘Brighton’s best burrito’ a few years ago. These burritos really are dead good.

Read more about DeadGood Burrito

Dos Sombreros serve up some guactacular tex mex eats at their home in the heart of the South Lanes. Their menu consists of delish dishes such as ‘Tequila Firecracker Prawns’ and ‘Peruvian Bean Stew’. The real star of the show though is their fajitas served up on sizzling platters. They also have an awesome ‘Day of the Dead’ themed cocktail bar above the restaurant, the frozen daiquiris are a real Wriggle fave and the happy hour from Sun-Thurs makes it cheap as chips. In true Mexican spirit they have mezcal shots complete with a wormy sidekick, lavely.

Read more about Dos Sombreros

Take a trip down to Kemp Town and discover the Mexican delights of Zona Rosa. Named after a district in Mexico’s capital known for its multicultural communities, bohemian atmosphere, appeal to creatives, and its LGBT+ community, the vibrant, diverse Kemp Town is the perfect place to lay roots. There is something for everyone's palate with favourites such as tamales, nachos, quesadillas, and burritos as well as innovative speciality items. We absolutely love their Churros - (Mexican fried donuts). Not literate in Mexican cuisine or just terrible at deciding what to order? Check out their taster menus featuring a mix of the most popular Mexican dishes on the menu.

Read more about Zona Rosa