It started with a taco, like many love stories do. Well technically, there were three. Three juicy, tender, pickled onion, coriander, salsa-topped wagyu tacos with generous lime juice squeezed on top. None of those one-cm-slices either. Real, proper wedges. I had those tacos at Rishad and Benaisha Mehta’s ‘Taste of Mexico’ pop-up in Chiswick’s Post Room Café in 2024. It was when London’s Mexican food scene really started to boom, but with West London sadly lagging behind. Those tacos were love at first bite, the best I’ve had in London and simultaneously, the ones that got away. It was only a two-day pop-up and it was also the last.
Following Rishad on socials ever since, I waited and waited for signs of the duo’s next venture. Radio silence… I eventually moved on, curious about other taquerias across the UK. I casually started seeing taco spots in East London, had a fling with a taqueria in Bath, moved on to a long-distance relationship with one in Walthamstow (yes, southwest to northeast London is long distance), and even mourned the death of a beloved cantina (rest in peace, Edinburgh’s Chorrito in Leith).
Two years later, mid-doomscroll, I stopped at an Instagram story. ‘Mirtala. Coming Soon’ with an image of the former Sam’s Kitchen venue on Turnham Green Terrace. It would be Chiswick’s first REAL Mexican restaurant, posted from Rishad’s account. The wait was over!
Rishad and Benaisha have pulled off what many native Brits inspired by Mexico try to do, but fail, and that’s showcasing Mexican food uniquely, authentically and respectfully, while pleasing the British palate
In less than two lightning-fast months, Mirtala opened in July. The name was inspired from Rishad’s family friend, Mirtala, who was close with his grandmother and was born in Monterrey, a city in Northern Mexico in the state of Nuevo Leon. Both families travelled back-and-forth, getting to know each other’s cultures and more important, their cuisines. Rishad fell in love with Northern Mexican food, and sought to recreate it in London – a blessing for all of us, really.
The restaurant exterior is a clean beige, with ‘Mirtala’ written boldly above the entrance, and its T emblem hanging discreetly to the side. The interior is just as sophisticated. Beige-coloured walls change in hue and mood according to the sunlight, white tablecloths, terracotta tiled floor and wooden chairs with woven rattan seating keep the space looking elegant, but inviting, and the olive green leather benches, add contrast and comfort. But the restaurant’s centrepiece is the glorious bar, made of oak and marble, and glowing gold under the opaline dome pendant lights.
Mirtala Barbacoa taco
Guac and corn tostada
Scallop aguachile
Come summer, counter-to-ceiling windows open onto the street, and window-counter tables are prime real estate. Shaded from sun, but still feeling the breeze while sipping a paloma, margarita or hibiscus spritz, people-watching as they rush from one end of the road to the next.
You might be so lost in the moment, you don’t notice when the freshly-made guac and corn tostadas hit the counter alongside the scallop aguachile. Spanish for “chili water”, aguachile is ceviche’s spicier sister. Cooked in lime juice, with garlic, onion, coriander and other spices (recipes vary) aguachile is served much quicker while ceviche takes its time in the marinade. At Mirtala, it’s served with chiltepin chilli and yes, for the British palate, it can be a bit spicy.
Rishad doesn’t bargain on spice. He embraces it, and serves it proudly through the menu, from the pollo con masa – a fried chicken dish that uses a spiced batter, and is served with pickled onion and a zesty habanero crema – to the four salsas that vary in heat and are served alongside a dazzling cut of pink-and-proper, melt-in-your-mouth British wagyu beef that was slow roasted with 16 herbs and spices.
The wagyu comes in taco form, too. The Mirtala Barbacoa taco has those same tender, almost-magenta-pink slices, except they’re layered on a homemade Sonoran-style flour tortilla with a spoonful of pico de gallo on top. It’s served with lime and salsa, and best paired (in my biased opinion) with a spicy marg. Taking my first bite, I realised that this was the full-circle moment. This was the taco I tried two years ago. The taco that I fell in love with. Except… it’s evolved. It’s more sophisticated in plating, more refined, and juicier than ever. Everything we had on the menu before this moment was delicious foreplay, but this… this was the main event. And after two excruciating (yet not-so-celibate) years without, what a main event it was.
Instead of a cigarette, the night ends on a sweet and spiced note, but not the spice you think. A quenelle of velvety cinnamon ice cream from the London-based Mexican ice cream cart, ¡HELADO!, is served with caramelised roasted pineapples and a pool of lime crema. It tastes like all of your favourite Christmas spices, thoughtfully adjusted for summer. It’s rich, but still refreshing, and a delightful surprise. It’s also evidence that Mexican desserts go well beyond churros and tres leches, and other Mexican restaurants ought to follow suit.
What pleased me most is that Rishad and Benaisha have pulled off what many native Brits inspired by Mexico try to do, but fail, and that’s showcasing Mexican food uniquely, authentically and respectfully, while pleasing the British palate. There is no stringy queso dip. No lack of citrus. No cajun fries (FFS that’s not even the right fake cuisine) and most important, no Nutella-covered churros.
Instead, there’s quality produce, thoughtful twists and unapologetic spice. Mirtala’s family and Rishad’s understand this well, and we’re very, very lucky to savour it.
59-61 Turnham Green Terrace
London
W4 1RP
September 2026
