La Perla

I visited La Perla a few weeks back with some friends, with the hope it would provide a laid back reasonable yet somewhat authentic night for a good catch up. Whilst it was indeed laid back and reasonably priced with friendly service, it completely lacked the authenticity of good mexican food and was at best a cheesefest with assorted carbohydrates.

Nacho's were generously portioned but drenched in melted cheese so that it was impossible to finish off – even between three of us, without wasting our mains. The attempt at saving space in my already dairy filled stomach was futile anyway, as the vegetarian quesedillas I had ordered were again heavy on the cheese and easy on the vegetables, lacking any seasoning or real flavour. Cocktails, such as the strawberry margherita were watered down (or iced down to be more accurate) syrupy concoctions of nothingness.

In summary if it wern't for the company it would have been a dire night. Nothing to write home about or venture out to anytime soon.

I was hesitant about eating at La Perla; knowing the general standard of Tex-Mex fare in this country, I didn't have particularly high hopes for the meal. Unfortunately, I was right. Catching the end of Happy Hour, we ordered the blended house margarita; this is the worst I've ever had, an icy-watery lime concoction with a hint of tequila. 'World class margarita's' they claim to serve; what a joke.
The place itself is ok, pretty spartan with wooden furniture, and with seating at ground level and below, next to the bar. According to the website, ‘modern Mexican murals, paintings…create a truly Mexican feel’; if you've ever been to Mexico, you may disagree.
To start, we shared some quesadllias which were fine, neither particularly bad or good. Hoping the meal might improve after this point and having moved onto wine (surely a safer bet), we waited for the mains to arrive. Now, I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to chillies but I do like a little kick to my Mexican food. However, there was so little going on that I half wondered if someone had forgotten that vital ingredient. Everything was bland – the street tacos tasted fine but were completely lacking in any zing, the tacos themselves a little flabby and the side of black beans, mediocre to say the least. The chicken enchiladas again were ok, but didn't have any detectable heat to them and the sides of beans and rice didn't look particularly fresh or appetizing. At this point, we decided to give the desserts a miss.
Considering there's so many restaurants in the Charlotte Street/Goodge Street area, it is a wonder this place was busy; I can only assume a lot of people come here for the well stocked tequila bar. With the (not overly generous) mains costing around a tenner, there's much better and more authentic Mexican food at a cheaper price to be found elsewhere in London.

A real surprise in Covent Garden, great cocktail menu, Happy Hour is great value for money as well. The frozen margaritas are pre-made, but the margaritas on the rocks are individually made, and well made.

Service in the bar can be mixed, but in the restaurant cannot be faulted. Restaurant is small, as the kitchen is open plan, so booking is essential. Food can be a little slow, again as it is open plan and small, so expect to take your time and enjoy the drinks.

The food is also very good, the chicken wings are the best I have ever had, the fajita's are also huge portions so come early.