We were after something light and delicious during our time in Edinburgh and El Cartel provided exactly that. Tom seated us straight away and was an amazing server the whole evening. The food came out very quick and every single meal was beyond delicious. We will be returning as soon as we are back in Edinburgh and will be recommending El Cartel to everyone! P.S The music choice was the cherry on top!
We came here as a party of 8 for a team lunch. The taco Tuesday deal was definitely worthwhile an our group really enjoyed the food overall as we got a selection of tacos as well as some sides. The portions were decent and we all enjoyed the special chimichurri steak taco.
My only gripes about the meal were the corn tortillas and lack of tortilla chips. The tortillas were way too thick many of them were cracked down the middle with craggily edges. I suspect the dough was underhydrated and not properly steamed. As a self-proclaimed "authentic" Mexican spot I'm a bit disappointed in the quality of such a central piece to Mexican cuisine
Great food, great service. For the 4 of us we tried all the starters on the menu and got 4 types of tacos. Favourites:
- corn on the cob: I don’t normally like corn very much, but this was juicy! I think they rolled it in sour cream then grated cheese then covered in paprika salt. Delicious.
- pork confit taco: the meat was actually crispy, yum
- baja cod taco: crispy batter, soft and juicy fish
Paid £35 each, including 6 cocktails for the 4 people.
I heard of here through “Glasgow’s Good Food Group” on Facebook. Folk raving about how good the food is. They were not wrong. Amazing food, really nice people, all good. Best Tacos I’ve tasted. The Dirty Beans are awesome. Will absolutely be back. Even bought the T-shirt
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First time here and it was a lot smaller that I thought it would be but it was nice. It was a unique atmosphere with good music and vibes. Service was excellent and all staff were very friendly. It felt more authentic with a smaller menu and the food was served very quickly. I really like how the waitress gave suggestions on how many dishes we should order (2/3 per person). She also gave brilliant recommendations from the menu which I ultimately loved. My wife also enjoyed her dishes. All the food was delicious. We even got some hot sauces (free of charge) at the table. The portion sizes were spot on as we didn’t feel bursting full by the end of the meal which you often do at similar restaurants. The only negative I can think of was there wasn’t many non-alcoholic drinks available (not even lemonade). However, this could be because they are trying to be more authentic with traditional drinks only. We were ready for the bill within 30 mins so it’s an excellent option for a quick bite to eat. This being said, we didn’t feel rushed at any time.
The vibes were great and so was the food and drinks. Staff were very friendly and also added to the great vibe. Are the ribs and they were really good. Only kinda bad thing was that the toilet seat on the men’s toilet was broken but it was okay, still usable.
Definitely recommend eating here !
Absolutely amazing tacos. I don't know if they're authentic or not, but they look absolutely stunning and taste so good and fresh. I liked every single one I've ever had but I always make sure to order duck carnitas next to anything else. Also, this is the only place where I order a soft drink. The coriander and jalapeno shrub is to die for - it is very spicy and very adictive. I only gave 4 stars for atmosphere because this branch can't compete in cosiness with its little sibling in Thistle street.
They serve delicious hamburgers but do not forget to have reservation!
Delicious food , friendly staff and great variety , well worth a visit - definitely try the daily specials
Great place to experience a different type of meal for Edinburgh with good drinks. Aaron was super nice and can make a wonderful margarita to order. Tacos and guacamole were good but I’m comparing them to Los Angeles so I can’t go full 5 stars.
Lovely little place! Love that its a non complicated menu - just straight up fresh food and ingrediants
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