Cielo Blanco

Mexican foods seems to be all the rage at the moment.  From London Bridge’s El Pastor to Corazon in Soho, taqueiras are popping up all over the shop. This is unsurprising – Mexican food never disappoints. Comforting, creative and messy, it’s got all the fun of a fiesta. And with its smoky depths, it’s packed full of flavour.

Keen to test out one of the new additions to London’s Mexican scene, I chose a spot close to work and dragged a companion to Exmouth Market’s Cielo Blanco for a Monday night start-of-the-week treat. Unassuming from the outside, the décor is inviting, honest and colourfully bright. With cute paintings which are authentically Mexican all over the shop, it offers hospitality in the old-school sense.

Unsurprisingly, the menu is taco-focused, with other quintessential Mexican offerings: guacamole, tostadas, sweetcorn…In the mood for something crunchy, my companion and I shared the Spicy roots tostada (£4.50), served with feta and pumpkin seeds. Piled high with deliciously well-cooked sweet potato, each toastada was drizzled with a piquant chipotle coriander pesto which gave it a depth of flavor. Alongside this classic tostada, we shared the Quinoa and black bean salad (£4.50). Dotted with pomegranate and heart of palm jewels, and well-seasoned with feta and mint, this salad had a fresh creaminess.

Keen to try out more of the menu, we ordered another toastada – this time, the Black bean and tomato combo (£4.50), which was topped with a great dollop of zesty avocado. The punchy tang of this dish complemented the sweetness of the waiter-recommended Warm butternut squash salad (£4.50), served with crunchy, well-toasted pepita seeds, feta and a chipotle mayo. The salad certainly lived up to its expectations. Sweet, smoky but moreish; very yum(tini).

All-in-all, head to Cielo Blaco for a reasonablely priced, homely but tasty Mexican plate (or three/four). You’ll certainly leave feeling well-fed.

Cielo Blanco, 55-57 Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, London, EC1R 4QL

Website: http://cieloblanco.co.uk/

Rating: ****