La Perla Maiden Lane (Closed)

Address: 28 Maiden Lane, (Bedford St end), London, WC2E 7JS, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 207 240 7400
Website: view La Perla Maiden Lane (Closed)’s website
Door: Open door
Style: Restaurant bar
Food: Tapas/plates & dishes

Review

La Perla is the sister venue of Café Pacifico, London's oldest Mexican restaurant. It first opened in Paris in 1988 and this Covent Garden branch (along with outlets in Fulham and Fitzrovia) followed.

The Mexican restaurant theme is enhanced by nautical design featuring surfing and sport fishing - be sure to check out the photo of a proud young Sly Stallone with his catch...

A fantasy mural of La Perla's mermaid dominates the airy, sky lit dining room. However, the action and indeed most of the drinking takes place by the front bar. People come from all over town to squeeze into this narrow ally of a space and be barged by folk wanting to get through to the restaurant.

Cheese-drenched nachos and tapas are washed down with superb margaritas and other cocktails based on the house specialities of rum and tequila. The fridges are crammed with ice-cold Mexican beers may be tempting by brand call a great tequila and ask for your margarita shaken rather than frozen.

The unsophisticated nature of this place attracts a broad cross section of society. City boys, sassy Latina babes and home-from-home Americans all enjoy the La Perla spirit.