Tortilla Islington High Street

This rapidly expanding mini-chain may not come with table service or a large menu, but it delivers a very creditable rendition of freshly made, full-flavoured Mexican fast food. Queue at the counter & order a tortilla, burrito or salad, then watch in amazement as it is shimmied down the production line & layered right before your eyes: think slow-braised pork heaped onto a soft corn tortilla, with spoonfuls of salsas & vegetables, then parcelled up & passed to the till. Questions come rapid-fire, ‘black beans or pinto’, ‘sour cream or cheese’, & staff have little patience for the uninitiated, but once done & dusted, the end result is worth the Stasi-like interrogation. Ingredients are wholesome & homemade, so it’s only if you add several just-churned cocktails from the frozen margarita machine that you should feel a tiny stab of guilt.