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It’s all a bit Mexican-by-numbers at this Exmouth Market restaurant, where somebody has been let loose with fruity tablecloths, several litres of vibrant wall paint and a collection of shrines to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Large booths and tables cement Cielo Blanco as a fiesta destination, although it wouldn’t be Exmouth Market without a few pavement-side tables for dining couples.
The array of Mexican standards on the menu is overwhelming, and staff do little to help the decision process with an ‘it’s all good’ attitude. Luckily, a sharing option (the ‘street food experience’, as they call it) lets you select six dishes between two so you can try a bit of everything. And some of it’s really quite good.
If I could, I’d have plunged my whole body into the queso fundido, a thick and pungent cheese-and-chorizo-spiked dip, and I enjoyed the crunch from beer-battered fish tacos with a lime-heavy relish that cut through it all. Less impressive were over-seasoned black bean tostadas and under-seasoned chorizo-and-squash flautas. And on the whole, everything could have done with a bit more chilli heat. But value for money couldn’t be faulted, and a lot of thought has gone into the list of Mexican drinks to wash it all down. So the search for excelente Mexican food in the capital continues. But top marks to Cielo Blanco for plying party-ready punters with cheap eats and tequila.