Las Iguanas: Latin American Delight
After a busy Valentines weekend my partner and I decided to try something new on Monday night, so we headed down to one of my favourite parts of London… Can you guess where? Southbank of course! While moseying along the riverside we decided to try out Las Iguanas, although it’s been there for 10 years we’ve never tried it.
Both being dressed quite casually we were a little worried, however once we saw that it was filled with couples, families and groups of friends we felt at ease and didn’t stand out like sore thumbs. The restaurant had warm Latin American feel with a small bar near the entrance, we were told by the waitress that it is the only Southbank venue with a bar, which was rather intriguing.
We were welcomed with smiles and banter by a male member of staff, it was great to be walked to our table and then have the menu explained to us. The menu was split into three areas, Tapas, Mexican and Brazilian food. I could have eaten everything but I am watching my waistline (ok that is a lie; I just didn’t want to be a piggy). The great thing about Las Iguanas is they offer a Gluten Free menu, I eat out a lot and have never seen a menu specifically for those who cannot tolerate Gluten.
Did I mention we arrived at Happy Hour?? Two for one cocktails whooppeee!!! As it was a work night we opted for a tropical medley virgin cocktail which reminded me of Lilt. It was super refreshing and I felt like I should have been lying on a beach somewhere, next time I will definitely opt for the non-virgin option.
For dinner I went for a fully loaded Enchilada, spicy chicken wrapped in a tortilla on a bed of rice and refried beans. The dish was not what I expected but it was great! Being from African decent when someone says spicy, I guess my expectation is for blow your mouth off spice. Which wasn’t what I got, but it was tasty none the less. The beans and rice accompanied the filled tortilla to perfection, I literally lick the plate clean (slight exaggeration). My partner had a Brazilian rump steak with chips, some green sauce which was infused with herbs and chips. If I am honest the steak was pretty burnt and being one of the most expensive meals on the menu, it left a lot to be desired. To help get my partner filled up, we ordered a cray fish salad from the Gluten free menu. When it arrived our eyes were dancing with excitement, the colours on the plate were amazing! It made up for the burnt steak, I highly recommend trying the salad.
Dessert for me was a winner. I chose a churro, which is a type of Latin American deep fried doughnut type pastry accompanied with a very alcoholic coffee ice cream which was perfect for dipping. If I could start the meal again I think I would have eaten 10 of those. My partner ordered the cheesecake, I don’t even have words to describe the yumminess. You know what get down there and try it, think that’s the best way to describe it.
Affordability of Las Iguanas was amazing! The meals were really cheap and they also had deals for the Tapas so that customers could get more for their money. We spent less than £50 and got loads of food and drinks, it was worth our Monday date night.
The staff as said before were amazing, you always get a feel of a place by the people they hire. The team were enthusiastic and really attentive to their customers. Only thing was that service was a bit slow and I think that was down to it being half term week and the restaurant being filled with families.
If you have a family or just want to go somewhere for a chilled time out and eat affordable food, then Las Iguanas is the place for you.
Check out the website here: http://www.iguanas.co.uk/
The Southbank restaurant details are as follows:
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX
020 7620 1328
Have you tried them before? What were your thoughts?
Abi
