London’s ode to Latin America

by Natasha Dowie

Tucked away in an unassuming corner between Southwark and Elephant & Castle, you could easily walk past this diamond in the rough. Paladar perhaps best encapsulates the idea of ‘London’s best kept secret’ — with a mouth-watering menu inspired by the rich variety of flavours from across South America, Paladar doubles up as an art gallery too. Every piece of artwork hung on the walls of Paladar is available to buy, all you have to do is ask your waiter! Sugar, spice and everything nice. The interiors are vibrant, colourful, and traditional, and if not there for a new addition to your own interiors, their artwork forms a brilliant backdrop to some of, what I think, is London’s best food.

Paladar really is a taste of all things Latin America and authenticity is what it does best. It’s fair to say I was in for a treat when we landed there for my 21st birthday. All of us big foodies, my family nearly ordered the entire menu — standing at a well-curated twenty-one dishes. Seemed serendipitous, that’s for sure.

True to Latin American traditions, they pride themselves on being an immersive, interactive, and communal experience with dishes designed to share. But for anyone with a dietary allergy like myself, sharing food can be a nightmare. Not here. Paladar takes dietary requirements seriously, with a wealth of vegan, vegetarian and dairy free options, but importantly for me, the entire menu was gluten free! With dishes like crispy tuna tostadas, succulent octopus tentacle, and crunchy pork belly bites wrapped in fresh lettuce it is fair to say I was blown away, and somewhat close to tears. The real icing on the cake (pun intended) was the dessert sharing platter, with crispy black corn churros and hot chocolate sauce, soft and squishy Mexican cookie, and a passionfruit trifle of dreams.

Undoubtedly our experience was made extra special by our incredible waiter Yalain, along with the rest of the team. Along with wine recommendations, all of which are sourced from South America by the way, we even got insider travel info. Yalain brought so much insight about ingredients and flavours to our dining experience. With chefs and sommeliers from Ecuador and Columbia also, Paladar quite literally lives and breathes Latin America.

In a market, full of South American chain restaurants, including Wahaca and Las Iguanas, it is difficult to re-authenticate South American food in London, and across the UK. Paladar blows out of the park any chain attempting to do such flavoursome cuisine justice. What’s more, Paladar’s hidden courtyard terrace just about whisks any visitor away to South America itself. This tiny restaurant on London Road might not be most people’s first choice for sitting outside, but Paladar’s outside garden is very special. With a draped roof and heaters for the colder months, they have turned this tiny space into a little paradise.

Paladar summarises what is best about London’s food scene, the fusion of cultures and flavours, merging London with South America in perfect harmony. With its mind-blowing flavours, authentic artwork and friendly staff, the experience is almost cathartic. It would be a shame for anyone to miss out on this truly immersive restaurant in SE1.

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All photos courtesy of Paladar’s Instagram page @paladarlondon