Corazón Restaurant Review: A Tequila Laced Mexican Brunch in Soho

A scorching hot Summers day, blue skies, a bustling Soho. That’s my kind of recipe to induce hunger from one of my favourite cuisines – Mexican! There’s something about sunshine that really attract me to this cuisine and it probably has something to do with just how fresh it is. Zesty citrus dressings, a healthy dose of vibrant herbs, succulent marinated meats and fiery tequila served over ice.

With all that in mind, we recently popped into Soho’s Corazón to check out their brunch menu which featured some of my favourites – not to mention a very generous flight of Margaritas to wash it all down with! Four very large (and strong) cocktails for just £20 per person.

Corazón is a Mexican restaurant in the heart of Soho, tucked away just behind Oxford Street which opened back in 2016 by couple Laura Sheffield and Chef Paul Daniel. The menu’s are a mix of Corazón’s vibrant Botanas (snacks), Tostadas, Tacos and larger Platos Mayores (big plates). The brunch is served every Saturday and Sunday.

As we settled in, we tucked into one very tasty and fresh bowl of totopos, guacamole & salsas. All incredibly fresh, vibrant and packed with a good amount of heat in those dips.

Quickly followed were the mouth-watering chicken tinga tostadas. Two crispy tostadas, topped with braised succulent and beautifully marinated chicken thighs, pasilla & ancho chile, sprinkling of queso fresca cheese & Mexican crema (aka sour cream). The perfect start and was washed down very nicely with our first cocktail – the ‘Corazón’ Margarita. The restaurants take on the classic, with house-made grapefruit sherbet & Olmeca Altos Blanco.

The food here is hearty, honest cooking where flavour and quality are at the fore front. Plus its excellent value and the portions are very generous. Our next drink, the Guavarita, to wash down our next dish – baja fish tacos. Chunky beer battered haddock, red & white shredded cabbage and chipotle mayo, all served on blue corn tortillas. A really lovely few mouthfuls and one I’d happily order again.

From the big plates selection of the menu, we went for the carne asada plate. Marinated, grilled hanger steak with guacamole, grilled spring onions, pickled onions, salsa ranchera and two tortillas. The meat was nice and smokey, very tender and all of the accompaniments were excellent. My only slight compliant were the tortillas being a little too hard and also for the quantity of food on the plate we needed four of them. To wash it all down? An Achiote Margarita.

Don’t miss out on the sides because they were some of my favourite. Breakfast hash, was a bowl filled with fried potatoes, poblano peppers, caramalised onions, chipotle and sour cream. As well as the Esquites, which is arguably one of Mexico’s best ever snacks. It’s grilled sweetcorn, stripped from the cob & served with guajillo chile powder, epazote mayo, lime and cows milk cheese. These little side dishes are meals on their own and so make sure you save room!

We didn’t quite have room for dessert, so instead sipped on the last of our cocktails from the Margarita flight. The Coffee Margarita. It was a little like an espresso Martini, but lighter and a lot fresher. Made up of Calle 23 Reposado, Kahlua, cold brew and chocolate bitters – this was my favourite cocktail from the brunch.

We really enjoyed our brunch here at Corazón and as far as Mexican food in London goes, especially when it comes to value for money, it was a great little find. Fresh, vibrant ingredients, packed with flavour. This really does feel like a modern slice of Mexico right here in London. Would we come back? Absolutely.