Lucia’s Review - Hackney Wick - London - The Infatuation
"Lucia’s is a total scene. Whether you’re leaning in the courtyard with people subtly showing off their knock-off Gucci tote, or sitting inside and metres from flickering flames in the open kitchen, there’s a frisson in the air at the Hackney Wick taqueria. It comes from knowing what’s behind the unmarked door, a soundtrack of vinyl and mezcal bottles jangling, and the hours melting away from one round of great tacos and cold beers to the next. Like the makeshift tequila and grapefruit Jarritos ‘palomas’, Lucia’s is a little rough about the edges in the best way—and the lively crowd embraces its charm. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch video credit: Daisy Meager photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch The best dishes are the rich, fall-apart beef barbacoa tacos and big cuts of meat that touch the fire, like tender sliced lamb rump, which come with a pile of corn tortillas sprinkled with sea salt and mild saucy salsas. Not everything hits: bone marrow tacos need salsa with more oomph, and a black bean and sweet potato tostada is too one-note. But the appeal of cool and casual Lucia’s goes beyond the food. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Food Rundown photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Grilled Vegetable Plate This dish is a hit if it comes fresh off the fire—the tangle of on-the-vine tomatoes, sliced courgette, chopped beetroot, and charred spring onions gets well-acquainted with the grill, bringing out sweetness and smokiness—but a disappointment if it's been grilled before service and arrives to you cold. If you get a good batch, pile the vegetables onto the soft corn tortillas and add hot sauce from the table selection. (We love the hot, sweet habanero and pineapple El Yucateco.) photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Black Bean And Sweet Potato Tostada The mix of black bean and sweet potato was a little one-note: both brought sweetness to the party which wasn’t balanced with anything else. Plus it was a big pile of smooth, mashed vegetables and pulses to a thin, crunchy tostada. Even the spring onion garnish couldn’t provide enough contrasting texture. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Beef Barbacoa Ding ding ding, we’ve found our perfect match to Lucia’s ice-cold bottles of Victoria. The juices from the rich, fall-apart meat soak into the tortilla, and it’s sprinkled with chopped white onion and parsley. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Lamb Rump Thank you to the server who insisted we try this. Slices of charred-around-the-edges lamb are served with tortillas, diced onion, herbs, lime wedges, and thick tomato salsa. Once bundled up and bitten into, the tender meat gives way for a dreamy bite. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Chilli Chocolate Truffles A duo of two-bite chocolate truffles come heavily dusted in cocoa and sprinkled with salt. One bite reveals their spicy-sweet kick." - Daisy Meager
