Last week Las Iguanas, Mill Lane, re-launched their restaurant, with a new look and a tweaked menu, and here at Quench we went to check it out! We were greeted by a bustle of people, food, colour, and energetic girls clad in feathers, and a waitress who seated us. From the minute we sat down, we were well-looked after, with our cocktail order taken almost immediately (it was then that we knew we were in for a good night!) It is important to note that this review is filled with tales of our amazing night, and if you want to have one of your own then you can start it the same way we did: with 2-4-1 cocktails. ALL DAY. EVERY DAY.

With a delicious cocktail in hand, we perused the extensive menu and struggled to choose. With new dishes such as Ipanema mussels on the cards, my brain hurt from indecision and my saliva glands were working themselves into a frenzy. For starters, we had ‘Pato Taquito’, which is a roasted duck and caramelised onion tortilla. One thing I will stress throughout this review is the meat marinades and the flavoursome sauces in the meals were done to PERFECTION. The starter was no exception, the duck was succulent and juicy and left me wishing I had ordered ten of them. For mains, the choice was almost impossible to make: Las Iguanas offers food from across Latin America, so we had to┬áchoose between eating Brazilian, Peruvian, Mexican and Argentinian food! How to choose one dish each!? But after much deliberation, we settled on chicken fajitas and ‘Xinxim’ – a Brazillian dish with chicken and crayfish in a creamy lime and peanut sauce with spring onion rice, green beans and sweet plantain. The fajita mix came out on a sizzling griddle and the Xinxim was kept warm in a pot over a candle, so both meals stayed nice and hot whilst we whipped out the camera (the life of a food reviewer!)

The fajitas were juicy and flavoursome, with a generous four tortilla wraps helping fill our tummies, and the Xinxim was super creamy and the seasoning was sublime. Honestly, I can’t fault the food┬áwhatsoever. The flavour explosions going on in my mouth were unreal. The only complaint is that I didn’t get to eat the whole menu because if our meals were anything to go by, every dish would be tasty. And for those thinking ‘good for you, but I don’t eat meat or animal produce’, WORRY NOT. The Brazillian, Peruvian and Mexican menus all offer vegan options, and all menus offer a vegetarian one, and with the insane flavour combinations that Las Iguanas have mastered, I can promise you that your meal will be absolutely poppin’. The same can be said for all with intolerances, with gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free options available! It’s also nice to know that all flavours consumed are homemade, with fresh ingredients used daily and chefs making delicious salsas and sauces by hand.

For dessert, we ordered a caramel cheesecake and wowee was it sweet! Despite loving cheesecake, and caramel, the thick layer of caramel tipped me over the edge. I was already stuffed and I am sad to say the sweet stickiness defeated me. That’s not to say it wasn’t tasty, it was just super sweet and gloopy, so be warned if your belly is already feeling full! Vegan and veggie options are also available on the dessert menu and lighter options such as sorbet may be a smarter idea after two courses than a big pudding.

Four cocktails down, and we headed over to our very own cocktail-making masterclass for more. We were being taught how to make Las Iguanas’ signature Caipirinhas, which is made with Las Iguanas’ own brand of Cachaca spirit ‘Magnifica de Faira Las Iguanas.’ With the Faira family making their own Cachaca for the last 30 years, the alcohol we were drinking has been made through Las Iguanas growing its own sugar canes, harvesting them, juicing them and distilling then bottling it. We made our Caipirinhas with Cachaca, Lime and sugar, and they came out the perfect combination of sweet and bitter!

So after a silly amount of cocktails and food, we rolled and hiccuped out of there. A brilliant Wednesday night. The atmosphere there was so fun and happy, that it was impossible not to come out smiling. I fully recommend going to see the all-new restaurant, with friends, or on a date – it fits all moods! And if you do, you’ll probably find me in there, sampling every other meal on the menu!