In one of London's most stylish neighbourhoods, Balham, 1910 Cantina Balham has become one of the local's most loved spots, thanks to its focus on authentic Mexican dishes. Founded by Jose and Mauricio, two passionate Mexican restaurateurs the team here is skilled in serving up traditional quesadillas, tostadas, tacos and more, and to make them go down even smoother, there’s a well-curated list of wines, spirits, beers and cocktails to enjoy alongside.
The 1910 Cantina Balham menu showcases the depth of Mexican gastronomy, with dishes that just so happen to be largely gluten-free. Small snacks include the refried pinto beans topped with cheese, deep-fried and salted pork rinds, and roasted sweet corn 'ribs' that are marinated in a light chilli butter sauce and topped with jalapeño mayonnaise, parmesan cheese and micro coriander. There are four different salsas to choose from, meaning you can tailor your sauce to your heat tolerance. The mildest is blended with onion, garlic and coriander, followed by a slightly hotter version with white onion and roasted tomatillo, and a relatively hot pureed mango con habanero with spicy chillies. The very hottest is the diablo salsa, with the 1910 Cantina secret blend of authentic Mexican chillies.
The taco selection is particularly noteworthy. The carne asada offers a sublime combination of grilled flank steak atop chipotle mashed potato, complemented by mint jalapeño mayonnaise and fresh avocado. Another crowd-pleaser is the pork belly taco, offering a crunchy, sweet and refreshing blend of flavours with tomatillo-agave glazed pork belly on a bed of crunchy white cabbage marinated in a mint-cardamom vinaigrette topped with watermelon radish.
Stick around for dessert, and try the traditional Mexican churros. Coated in hibiscus sugar, these sweet treats are then served with hot chocolate sauce for dipping and can be elevated with a splash of Ojo de Dios cafe mezcal to your pot for a boozy punch.