When Edinburgh’s new Wahaca threw their doors open for the first time last week, I knew I had to check it out! Not only is it one of the city’s newest haunts, but it’s also the first Wahaca north of the border.
Located just off St. Andrews Square, it couldn’t be a more central location, and it was the perfect spot to sneak into after a long day at work. The restaurant itself is far bigger than I expected – spread over two floors; it was packed, despite our visit being pretty early on a Thursday evening.
We were seated upstairs, and got to soak in the atmosphere. With Latin music pumping, and the staff buzzing around, it felt like we were somewhere rather more glamorous than cold and rather damp Edinburgh!
The menu is pretty vast, and caters to pretty much everything you can think of – whether you’re in for a quick bite, or a bit of a feast, you can order as much or as little as you like. There’s even a tapas-esque section filled with morsels to savour if you fancy a bit of mix-and match in your supper!
As we pondered our dinner choices, one choice I didn’t have any trouble with was my drinks order! I’m a fan of a margarita (frozen or otherwise) and opted for a Classic (£7). Served icy cold, it was an absolute delight – sharp lime and smooth tequila was a heavenly and classic combination.
We started off with a couple of sharing dishes. Obviously we couldn’t miss guacamole, and the inclusion of Frijoles was a new one to us, so we ordered a tub of that too!
The Guacamole and Tortilla Chips (£4.50) was great mash-up of zesty and creamy, just as you want from the green stuff! Wahaca make their guac fresh daily. With chilli, lime juice and coriander, it was a flavourful way of kicking off the meal!
Our order of Frijoles & Tortilla Chips (£3.50) was an unexpected delight. Comprising of twice-cooked black beans and chorizo, it was incredibly flavourful and satisfying. Paired with the crispy tortilla chips, it was the perfect accompaniment to my margarita and started the meal off beautifully.
Then we got onto the mains. Neither of us could resist the British Steak the Mexican Way (£12.95) which promised an overnight-marinated Bavette steak with a crisp cheese, green rice and salad. It’s one of my favourite cuts of steak to cook at home – and happily Wahaca’s didn’t disappoint!
It was an incredibly generous portion, and an absolute riot of colour on the plate. The meat was cooked to medium-rare perfection, tender and so flavoursome. It paired well with the green rice, and extra crunch was added to the salad with a sprinkling of seeds and slices of tortilla chips.
Suitably stuffed by the meal, we couldn’t even contemplate pudding, but with options like freshly made churros served with warm chocolate sauce (£4.25) and salted caramel ice cream (£4.25) we were incredibly tempted!
Thank you to Wahaca for having us!
