Brighton’s Mexican and Latin American food runs from big national names like Wahaca and Las Iguanas through to smaller independent cantinas tucked into North Laine and the Open Market. Here are eight worth seeking out.
Las Iguanas, Jubilee Street
Las Iguanas brings its Latin American menu – part-Mexican, part-Brazilian, part-Caribbean – to Jubilee Street, with cocktails and live-ish bar energy as much a draw as the food itself.
Over 8,000 reviews at a 4.8-star average make it the best-reviewed restaurant of any cuisine in this entire guide.
Las Iguanas — 7-8 Jubilee St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1GE, UK | iguanas.co.uk
Wahaca, North Street
Wahaca serves North Street with founder Thomasina Miers’ market-style Mexican menu, built around street-food-style small plates, tacos and a well-known weekly specials board.
A 4.5-star average across 3,115 reviews reflects the chain’s consistently strong reputation since arriving in Brighton.
Wahaca — 160, 161 North St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1EZ, UK | wahaca.co.uk
La Choza, North Laine
La Choza serves Gloucester Road in North Laine, an independent Mexican restaurant with a full menu of tacos, burritos and margaritas in one of the city’s most walkable independent shopping streets.
A 4.3-star average across 1,919 reviews makes it one of the more established independent Mexican names in Brighton.
La Choza — 36 Gloucester Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 4AQ, UK | lachoza.co.uk
Tortilla, West Street
Tortilla brings its build-your-own burrito and bowl format to West Street, a quick-service alternative to the sit-down restaurants elsewhere on this list.
A 4.3-star average across 1,664 reviews reflects consistent quality on a fast-casual format built for speed and customisation.
Tortilla — 37 West St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 2RE, UK | tortilla.co.uk
Halisco, Preston Street
Halisco serves Preston Street with a full Mexican menu and cocktail list, adding a Latin American option to a street otherwise dominated by Chinese, Thai and Japanese restaurants.
A 4.4-star average across 926 reviews makes it a well-regarded choice for anyone after Mexican food on this part of the seafront strip.
Halisco — 64 Preston St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 2HE, UK | halisco-brighton.co.uk
Casazul, Open Market
Casazul operates from a unit inside Brighton’s Open Market on Marshalls Row, one of the independent food traders that make up this revamped covered market near the station.
A 4.9-star average across 396 reviews makes it one of the best-reviewed Mexican kitchens in this guide, in a setting built entirely around small independent food stalls.
Casazul — Unit 45 Marshalls Row, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 4JU, UK | casazul.co.uk
Malo Empanadas, The Lanes
Malo Empanadas serves Duke Street in The Lanes with a menu built entirely around Latin American empanadas, a narrower focus than the full-menu Mexican restaurants elsewhere on this list.
A 4.9-star average across 254 reviews reflects a strong reputation for a format that’s still relatively rare in the city.
Malo Empanadas — 11 Duke St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1AH, UK | malobrighton.co.uk
Carambada Cantina, Fiveways
Carambada Cantina serves Ditchling Road in the Fiveways area, a small independent Mexican restaurant away from the main city-centre cluster.
A 4.8-star average – with reviews still building – suggests a strong early reputation among the people who’ve found this residential-area cantina.
Carambada Cantina — 253a Ditchling Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 6JD, UK | carambada.co.uk
