The best tacos in London? Go to a small but historic local restaurant

This article is part of FT Globetrotter. london guide

In truth, no one really knows where tacos come from. Its forceful simplicity keeps us in suspense. Some say they are native to Mesoamerica and were enjoyed with small fish long before the Spanish arrived. Others argue that they are the product of 18th century silver miners. But the fact is that once they arrived, they stayed and became loved. In this way, they are embodied by Manolo de la Torre, a man who appeared out of nowhere and immediately established himself among the diners of Peckham, southeast of London, who know him as “Taco Manny.”

I first visited their pop-up, which occupied a stall at Rye Lane Market, in November 2023. “Tacos! Tacos! They were his first words, at least to my ears. “The best of London!” I sat down and, for less than a tenner, I was presented with three large golden tortillas filled with meat: slow-cooked beef. birriafatty carnitas (pulled pork) and inexplicably tender ox tongue. The sauce also came three at a time, perfectly combined, along with a slice of lime. He was right. They really were the best tacos in London.

De la Torre’s pop-up soon became a permanent venue, Guacamole’s, which he runs with his wife, Gabriella. Last summer, a lucky encounter with Jonathan Nunn, the founding editor of the popular Vittles newsletter, sparked a glowing review, extending Guacamole’s appeal beyond local Latinos. De la Torre, a deeply religious man, insists that God was acting through Nunn that day. Now Guacamole’s is getting busier and even though its owner has less time to chat, he’s never too busy to tell you his story.

Fast food is in de la Torre’s blood. His grandfather began selling burritos to industrial workers in Veracruz, on the east coast of Mexico, and became rich. A family business was born that passed from generation to generation and reached Manny, who combines his professional duties with his budding career as a DJ (he now runs a night called Tacos and techno at local music venue Peckham Audio). “I was a blessed man,” he tells me, recounting his former life.

One day, hungover from a concert the night before, de la Torre says he woke up to a portentous avalanche of WhatsApp messages in his family group chat. His cousin had been shot and the family was still reeling from the murder of his uncle a year earlier. It says both were murdered by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a militarized syndicate estimated to have more than 18,000 members. “Then they killed my cousin, his nephew,” he continues. “I think I was next.”

Shortly after his cousin’s death, de la Torre says he received a text message demanding an unpayable monthly sum in exchange for not murdering his family: “At first, I thought it was a food order. I was driving with my daughter when the text message came. The police couldn’t help: they were too afraid.”

After a month in hiding, de la Torre sought asylum in the United Kingdom. Upon his arrival, the Ministry of the Interior accommodated him in a hotel, where he remained for almost two years. “At first I was calm because I was safe,” he remembers. “But it is a year and nine months in which nothing can be done. You can’t work. It’s like living in prison. “It was the hardest part of my life.” Ultimately, De la Torre’s pastor put him in touch with an immigration attorney; he won his court and settled in east London.

De la Torre quickly noticed a gap in the market. “We looked everywhere,” he says, “and we couldn’t find good tacos in London.” This much is true: London, a hungry, multicultural city, has a glaring deficit of decent, affordable Mexican food: £10 a taco is standard fare. “This is fast food; It shouldn’t be expensive,” insists De la Torre. “With one kilogram of mass [maize dough]“I can make 90 tortillas.”

Despite appearances, tacos are deceptively complex. Earlier this year, El Califa de León in Mexico City became the first of Mexico’s 11,000. taquerias earn a Michelin star, imbue corn containers with the expected institutional recognition. De la Torre takes authenticity seriously. He painstakingly sourced his meat and massworking hard to revive the flavors of his youth. “Our birria It has 17 spices, carnitas It’s 12. We tried it, and if it doesn’t taste like [home]We don’t sell it.”

From its permanent location in Rye Lane Market, Guacamole’s is serious and unpretentious. In addition to the famous tacos (also available as meatless options), there are freshly made tacos. horchata and tamarind juice, and pozolea traditional Mexican soup with corn kernels and avocado. But the unsung hero is Manny. three milks cake: a sponge cake base soaked in evaporated milk and other ingredients in a recipe passed down from a former Tower matriarch.

Above all, de la Torre enjoys his new life. He complains about the bland cuisine and the bad weather. But, as he says, “God is showing up in my bank account.” Part of me wants to keep Guacamole under the radar, but Taco Manny deserves the praise, even if he gives all the credit to his business partner in heaven. As I leave, he begins to serenade his wife with a love song. She stops working mass and looks up fondly before hand pressing another batch of tortillas, one at a time.

Guacamole’s, Unit 61, Rye Lane Market, 48 Rye Lane, London SE15 5BY. Website; Instructions

This article is part of a new series on local gems: the simple neighborhood restaurants that combine great, relatively affordable food with a sense of community. Do you have a favorite local gem? Tell us in the comments

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