FOOD : El Santo Latin American Restaurant, Glasgow
Latin American cuisine is a vibrant tapestry of flavours, colours, and cultural influences that tantalise the taste buds and ignite the senses. From the zesty tang of Mexican street tacos to the savoury richness of Argentinean asado, the food from Latin America takes you on a culinary voyage like no other. Each country has its unique culinary traditions, yet they all share a common love for bold spices, fresh ingredients, and communal dining experiences. Indulge in the fiery heat of Peruvian ceviche, the comfort of Brazilian cassava fries, or deep umami of a side of Argentinian Asado. Latin American cuisine is a celebration of life, tradition, and the remarkable diversity of flavours that make it truly unforgettable.
Scotland may seem an unlikely place to savour authentic Latin American cuisine, yet the growing culinary scene has embraced the bold and vibrant flavours of these 21 countries that make up Latin America, which include Brazil, Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina and Cuba; and El Santo Mexican Restaurant in Glasgow is no exception.
REVIEW OF EL SANTO MEXICAN RESTAURANT, MERCHANT CITY, GLASGOW
El Santo is located in the Merchant City, on Miller Street. Ascending the beautifully wall-papered staired entrance does not prepare you for what lies inside. You walk into an ultra sleek, modern, contemporary and beautiful restaurant where bar and restaurant area have been carefully zoned using lighting and textures.
The bar area is bright and shiny, whilst the dining space is illuminated in the warm glow of red light setting the mood for an intimate and cosy dining experience.
Their drinks menu centres around tequila, mezcal and agave spirits with cocktails, flights and shots available. El Santo also have their own hidden speakeasy Margarita bar, El Santito, for an opulent and elegant drinking experience, where you can explore their wide range of Tequila and Mezcal.
We started our evening off with a Classic Margarita and a El Santito Margarita with peach, yuzu, lime, orange and passionfruit! Both were a perfect combination of zesty citrus and smooth tequila.
Their drinks menu includes a decent wine line up noting some great reds such as Malbec from Mendoza Argentina and Errazuriz from Chile.
Before I start gushing about the food at El Santo, I just want to make it clear - I bloody love this place and I wish they had one in Edinburgh.
Their menu is a sharing menu, a delightful culinary experience that allows diners to come together and indulge in a delectable array of carefully crafted dishes designed for sharing. You can choose to work your way through the menu choosing from starter plates like ceviche, empanadas, tacos, grill, mains and accompaniments. There is also a separate sharing menu for 4 people or more.
Whatever you choose, be prepared to be blown away by the service, the quality of food, the flavours and the overall dining experience.
An absolute must have is the table side guacamole! Crocantes con Gaucamole £8.50/£15.00
Our server was wonderful, carefully scooping out fresh and ready bright green avocado to mix with onions, chillies and tomato in a large molcajete. The rough surface of this basalt stone bowl creates a superb grinding surface for the ingredients leaving the guacamole partly smooth, partly chunky and just altogether delicious. Its served with house crips and such a tasty dish to have all the way throughout the meal. I mean everything goes well with guacamole, doesn’t it?!
Dishes came as they were ready and less than a minute after the guacamole was ready, these pockets of delight were delivered to our table. Pastel de Pollo Ahumicado Y Queso (£8.00)
Savoury pastry filled with smoked pulled chicken breast! Yet another MUST order dish
We opted for a vegetarian ceviche with lots of white corn but you can opt for the traditional ceviche such as their Salmone Y Maracuja (£14.00) with passion fruit tiger milk, soy sauce, radish and crispy sweet potato or the Ceviche Mixto (£13.00) with cooked prawns, cured white fish, tiger milk, mango salsa, crispy corn and avocado mousse.
Tacos, with their perfect combination of savoury fillings, fresh toppings, and warm tortillas, are a culinary delight that never fails to satisfy.
These tacos are filled to the brim and again opted for a vegetarian option of the battered cauliflower. Absolute perfection! The cauliflower retained a bite, the batter was crispy, non greasy and it just packed in flavour!
Tacos range from £6.50 to £8.00 or 2 tacos for £12.00 or 4 tacos for £24.00
The extensive menu offers an array of mouth-watering options, that we had to ask our server to help navigate the most delectable dishes. No easy feat.
Yacca Frite (£7.00) or cassava chips the should be ordered just to fill in any gaps that might need a mouthful of food! The Chicken Skewer was good, but it fell short of being truly wonderful compared with all the other dishes, their flavours and textures. The Pork Belly was unctuous, soft and melt in the mouth however the bubbled crispy looking fat was extremely chewy. I so wanted it to snap and crackle in my mouth.
Lastly, please do yourself a favour and leave room for dessert. The desserts here are incredible especially the Chocolate Cigar complete with its own table side theatre! El Santo Charuto Cigar (£10.00) chocolate cigar, blackberry gel dusted with smoked tea ash.
Indulging in these ethereal desserts is like savouring a fleeting cloud of sweetness; they effortlessly dance on your palate, leaving you comfortably satisfied without weighing you down.
Soft delicate flavours of whipped chocolate mousse, fresh tropical notes in the Guava Cheesecake to coconut and condensed milk flans all play a symphony in your mouth.
El Santo Latin American Restaurant in Glasgow is a hidden gem that brings the vibrant flavours of Latin American cuisine to the heart of the city. With its warm and inviting atmosphere and the attentive and knowledgeable staff, it’ll be a memorable dining experience. Whether you're a seasoned Latin food enthusiast or a curious newcomer, El Santo is sure to transport your taste buds to the sunny streets of Latin America.
THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT EL SANTO
They can cater for vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, and gluten free
They are not dog friendly
You can eat or just have a drink at the bar
They are open from Lunch and Dinner
The restaurant is not accessible friendly
El Santo, 82 Miller Street, Glasgow, G1 1DT www.elsanto.co.uk
My Spoon Award : Gold Spoon 9/10
I was invited by El Santos to review their menu. Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.