I‘ve kept our eyes on this newcomer on Leytonstone High Road opposite the Overground station – partly because it’s adjacent to Ferndale Road, my regular cut-through to Wanstead Flats.
But a friend finally tipped me off when it opened. Here was her exact text: “Funny little place, but the food is grrrrreat! And cheap! Had really good Brazilian snacks, tacos and quesadillas and pints of Super Bock.”
Such enthusiasm was enough to make me head straight there on Monday lunchtime, but (surprisingly?) it was full, and the roadside terrace didn’t appeal on yet another grey windy day, so instead I returned a couple of days later to grab a spot inside in the window. The interior is cute: banquettes, a few tables, a few flags, a fridge full of beers and a busy kitchen that’s open to view.
If you’re in a rush, or want something for a picnic in the forest, the snacks “to go” are £3 and include coxinha, empanadas , mince burgers and pao de quejo (cheese bread). My friend had raved about the coxinha (pictured above) being “absolutely flipping delicious, a creamy chicken filling with a potato batter, breaded and deep fried.” And she wasn’t wrong: mine was smooth and moreish.
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The main menu is divided into Brazilian and Mexican dishes, including picanha steak with black beans and rice (at just £12), cassava chips, frango a passarinho (fried chicken on the bone with onions, £15), farofa, as well as burritos, tacos and quesadilla (all around £9).
A trio of tacos (below), presented with rustic largesse, were unlike the more refined takes up the road at Homies on Donkeys: instead these are huge and almost impossible to eat without them collapsing everywhere, guacamole and pico de gallo spurting out. But the flavours of each – slow-cooked beef birria, generously packed chicken al pastor and meaty vegan mushrooms – shone through. And yep, I was forced to use a fork at one point.
With pints of Super Bock at £5.50 and bottles of beer at just £3.50 (cocktails like cairpirinhas are £8), Latino is probably not going to break the bank, either (my bill was £13 with a soft drink). As I left, the friendly server told me they do a feijoada special at weekends (the Brazilian stew of beans with beef and pork). That alone sounds worth a return visit.
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Follow @latino_base on Instagram, 540 High Rd Leytonstone, Bushwood, London E11 3DH
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