St Katherine Dock has past been synonymous with a chain restaurant or two, but the arrival of Mexican hotspot Chayote at the end of last year has certainly brought a new flavour to the area.
Husband and wife team, Georgy Vershinin and Susannah Hall were inspired to launch Chayote, to provide London with a luxury dining experience, marrying the best Latino flavours and textures. With a picturesque view of Tower Bridge, Chayote has brought a taste of Latin America to the east end, thanks to the creativity of Chef Tomasz Baranski. He’s created a flawless menu blending Mexican, Peruvian and Spanish influences; with a CV covering some of London’s top Spanish restaurants including Brindisa and Barrafina, along with a stint in Peru, it’s clear to see where his experience lies.
Chayote may be small, but she is mighty, with a menu that will take your tastebuds on a journey through Latin America. Named after a versatile gourd that’s prevalent in Mexican cuisine; something of a testament to Mexico’s deep-rooted Mesoamerican heritage and its indigenous communities.
Dining at Chayote
Flavours are fresh, crisp and zingy, both the food and the inventive cocktails, and food is split into Snacks, Starters, Tostadas & Tacos, Land & Sea and Desserts. We started with the prawn a jalapeño croquetas with guajillo cream, deliciously crisp and gooey and swiftly followed by a plate of seabags green mango agua chile with red caviar, a punch of fire and citrus with melt-in-the-mouth fish.
Tostadas are vibrant, flavourful bites; messy? Yes. But worth it? Also yes. Oxtail is accompanied with chicharrón, pickled onion and a punchy pineapple salsa. Sesame yellowfin tuna is cut through with a wonderful guajillo cream. For the veggies, the wild mushroom, piquillo and Oaxaca-style cheese was a hit.
Make sure to consult the mains before having your fill of the snacks and starters, however, with dishes like Iberico pork cheeks carnitas with red and green mole and lamb barbacoa wrapped in a banana leaf, you’ll want to make sure you have space.
The cocktail list is worth a visit alone. The Picante is dangerously moreish, a combination of jalapeño and mint-infused El Rayo tequila, melonade, Cointreau and citrus, while the Hola is a refreshing blend of Pensador Mezcal, mango, oak shore, citrus and lemonade.
Chayote might be a little out of the way, but for a marvellously inventive Mexican menu, cracking cocktails, and a location just asking for a post-prandial stroll around the dock, Chayote is a hot spot.
Chayote
2 St Katharine’s Way
London
E1W 1AA
United Kingdom
