Caldera London: Mexican eatery and cocktail venue arrives in Hackney

A new hub for Mexican food and cocktails opens on Mare Street next week.

Caldera pledges "honest, creative and playful food" in a relaxed space characterised by its raven plume colour-scheme, low-hanging lights and retro pendants that dress up their cosy window booths. The restaurant is offering 50 per cent off food by way of introduction (from November 7 to 17).

Ernesto Puga Cardoso is Caldera's newly appointed executive chef. "We're so excited to bring the modern flavours of Mexico to Hackney with Caldera," he says.

"With such a glut of great Mexican restaurants in London and the country on a whole, we wanted to push the boundaries of the national cuisine and experiment with new ingredients and flavours.

"Whether dining with friends, colleagues, or loved ones, Caldera looks forward to offering the people of London a finer and more refined take on traditional Mexican food."

To start, you're looking at dishes like Padron peppers with maldon salt; molemiso lamb cutlets; and baja style fish tacos with a chipotle aioli and ao-nori seaweed.

A signature main at Caldera will be the chicilo ash marinated grilled octopus - served with hibiscus and yuzu kosho aioli - while the romanesco broccoli with an ajillo yellow bean sauce offers something for those with a plant-based diet. For dessert, look no further than the churros with dule de leche.

And if you're not hungry? Caldera's got space if it's just drinks you're after. With a range of Mexican beers and soft drinks, the restaurant will also serve cocktails including the Carmencita (tequila, grapefruit, cranberry, lemon, lime) and classic Pina Coladas.

Caldera opens at Unit 8 Monohaus, 143 Mare Street, E8 3FW on Wednesday (November 6). Their website will go live shortly, until then follow their Twitter here.