Comensal Modern Mexican Bar & Restaurant

On Thursday night I attended the launch night of Comensal, a contemporary Mexican bar and restaurant near Clapham Common.

The restaurant is in the midst of a line of trendy bars and restaurants, and certainly doesn’t look out of place. When I arrived the place was buzzing with the bar and small outside area filled with mingling visitors. I was given their marquee cocktail, an El Comensal, which included Reposado Tequila, Agave syrup, Mint, Lime and Red Chilli. This was perfectly balanced and the chilli gave a lovely spicy kick to it. I spoke to the owner John Sim, who explained how tequila is sipped in Mexico, instead of downed in a shot, like us English wastrels usually do. Comensal has special tequila glasses to allow it to be enjoyed how it is in Mexico.

Comensal is an authentic family venture, with John’s mother-in-law whipping up some delicious guacamole for everyone to try. This was fresh and tasty and the tortilla chips were nicely grilled. John stressed the importance of getting a strong team together and impressed the need for authenticity amongst them. Their Head Chef Eduardo, for example, has grown up cooking Mexican food.

A series of different nibbles were presented and happily devoured. These included tacos, canapés and crispy wraps. These all had a nice kick of spice to them and the salmon canapés were my favourite. Actually the little circles of soft sponge cake were probably my favourite.

After thoroughly enjoying several El Comensals, I tried one of their Mexican beers Pacifico, and it quickly became my favourite beer. It was similar to Corona but had a softer more refined taste. I was told this is imported through a specialist supplier and isn’t available in English supermarkets.

The restaurant itself has lines of tables, close to each other, which creates a more sociable environment than most restaurants. The place has been fully booked since it opened in recent weeks so I’d recommend booking in advance to ensure a table. If you like Mexican food and drink, you should try this contemporary restaurant, which prides itself on presenting the most authentic Mexican experience.

Follow them on Twitter here or look at their website here for more information.

Written by Martin Stocks | @Stocks1986     

Comensal

32 Abbeville Road

Clapham

SW4 9NG