LDNGuide
The London Nacho Power Rankings
photo credit: Koray Firat
London isn’t known for having lots of options when it comes to great Mexican food, but snacky, loaded chips you can drink with a pint? That speaks to a city of pubs and pickers. In the name of research, we’ve eaten a lot of nachos in easy-to-find chain restaurants and delivery-only spots hidden in arches, and ranked our favourites. If you aren’t eating from this list, you should probably just make your own at home.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
#1
Attention to detail isn’t something you can usually say about a pile of nachos. But Caldera, a Mexican-inspired spot in Hackney, gets it. They’ve got well-salted tortilla chips, guacamole with the right chunk-to-smooth ratio, and an abundance of green toppings. You’ve got sliced rounds of spring onion, large jalapeños, and coriander—plus charred, roasted salsa which makes this feel like a balanced meal rather than a cheesy, carby mess. If we had to choose one bowl of nachos to eat forever, we’re happy for it to be these.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
#2
We don’t know who Bob is, but in a city of people determined to stack their nachos, we salute this Muswell Hill cafe for going with a single layer on a sheet pan. It means that you get toppings on every single bite and aren’t left with a big pile of bare tortilla chips because you couldn’t ration your guacamole. And these are good toppings—a no-nonsense cheddar, sweet salsa, pickled red onions, blobs of guacamole, and a sprinkling of chilli flakes that works with all that sweetness. We’re calling these the Vin Diesel of the nacho world—solid, dependable, and does the basics well. It gets the silver spoon but construction-wise, it’s the best.
photo credit: Koray Firat
#3
Chick ‘n’ Sours has always been a safe space for hunkering down with fried chicken, and the Mexinese nachos at the laid-back Seven Dials spot are similarly comforting. Perfectly layered, sturdy chips come drizzled with nacho cheese, which doesn’t overpower, and are topped with tangy kimchi which cuts through all the delicious orange goo. You’ll find yourself chasing the drizzled szechuan chicken and bacon ragout around your plate with a chip-shovel until you’ve scooped up every last speck. There’s just the right amount of experimentation.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
#4
We’re calling these the gourmet nachos. Before you eye roll yourself out of this guide, hear us out. The tortilla chips are thick, made from scratch, hand-cut, and fried in-house. They hold up against even the greediest of scoops. And they’re crunchy. Like, had us worried about the filling we’re putting off getting, crunchy. Acuarela is a Mexican, delivery-only restaurant close to Camden Road station. If you don’t live nearby, you can collect, and it’s worth it. They use tangy queso fresco crumbled on top, along with diced tomatoes and a big serving of refried black beans. We did find these a bit dry, but that was easily offset by adding smoky, finely ground chorizo and slow-cooked Yucateco-style pork.
photo credit: Koray Firat
#5
When we visited vegetarian restaurant Mildreds, there were adults, on business meetings, eating these nachos. The Soho spot has made chips covered in cheese a perfectly reasonable lunchtime option, even if it involves KPI chat. The slightly spicy, moreish cheese sauce comes in a separate bowl, so instead of cheese dribbling down your hand, you can elegantly dip. The rest of the toppings—sweet, sliced pickled onions and a rich black bean mole—are neat enough to eat with company too. We don’t love that these are basically deconstructed nachos, but they bring it back with that flavourful cheese bowl.
