You've tripped and rollicked your way through the Rough Trade photobooth, you've considered a tour of the Old Truman Brewery, thought about it some more and spent that hard earned wonga in a Wetherspoons instead, and you've been naive enough to saunter down Brick Lane on a Saturday come 1pm; so what else should you Brick Lane boozers be getting stuck in to? My money is on fragrant Mexican morsels.
The Venue
So you want a taste of East London's industrial innards, prismatic shapes, hacienda hints and pops of colour that would make Warhol worry that the ones he used just simply weren't enough? Then DF/Mexico is such the dashing destination for that. As spaces come laced in cacti and flowing foliage, industrial tables are paired with honeyed, hearty lemon tones and low hanging steel lamps set the lit tone, social dining and booth boozing come as standard.
Clearly proud purveyors of contemporary South American crooning, I do hate to get all Llewelyn Bowen on you, DF/Mexico really is one pretty looking pad. They are under the Wahaca umbrella after all.
Contemporary cool a little South of the American border.
The Food and Drink
Like you'd go to a Mexican restaurant and order the fish, that would be down right.....endorsed. While chicken fajitas may be your expectation, want and need, DF/Mexico are making palatable dishes that give you more than what your regular dish picks denote. Demolishing the panko crumbed cod tacos with red slaw, chipotle mayo and a crunchy salad at just £6.95, DF/Mexico are going just as much for eyeball gratification as they are Hank Marvin satisfaction. Colourful, crispy and piquant at times thanks to the chipotle sass, the dish was heaving with happy.
And hey now my South American homies, that's not just the frozen margarita yapping off. Boasting 100% agave Cuervo Tradicional tequila, the tart Raspberry and Hibiscus number was a fresh palate pleaser following the post-taco, heaped chilli salt chips at just £6.75. While only a wee glass, the wash of fruity, frozen fun gets you through an entire meal, and then some, especially if you're tucking into a side order of Brixton Brewery's DF special, the Lupulo pale ale.
A pop of colour to pop into your chops, Mexican morsels at DF are designed to be delicious.
The Atmosphere
While tough to comment on service owing to their somewhat serve yourself approach (think of a Nando's ordering policy and you're spot on, it's time to shuffle those there feet), there's a come and go as you please attitude to DF/Mexico that ultimately sticks to an ever bustling Brick Lane crowd. And, they're still a bloody lovely bunch at that. Brimming with local patrons and wee booths that owe to their own social systems, DF/Mexico isn't somewhere to lumber and lower your limbs for the long evening haul, but its buzz and enticing eating culture does make for a slower alternative to a life of dashing and dining.
Don't dine and dash, dine and indulge, the food may be fast but there's no need to rush at DF.
Summary
A destination that describes themselves as a 'crash course in modern Mexico', it's a phrase that holds up all too well. Simple and sassy food matched with resplendent interiors and frozen margaritas, DF/Mexico to me can be a crash course in anything, as long as i'm allowed to go back. I'm allowed to come back, right?.....you guys?
