Mercado Bar & Cantina

It's impossible to miss this bright yellow-fronted restaurant with its striking façade, but the interior doesn't live up to the promise. All the Mexican clichés are here - sombreros, sunflower oil-cloths, plastic shopping bags and Catholic icons. Flashing multicoloured lights add a touch of pathos to the faded kitsch. As for the food, you won't go far wrong if you stick with staples of quesadillas, tacos, burritos and fajitas, though the meat in our steak tacos was a little on the tough side. An enchilada was served smothered in poblano mole sauce (the chocolate one), yet it lacked the depth of flavour expected from this dish. There's a wide choice of traditional mains on the menu; chicken stuffed with mushrooms and a creamy red-pepper sauce was a safe bet. The nice selection of cocktails includes some luscious non-alcoholic examples, and there are also Mexican beers and sipping tequilas to choose from. Mercado might not be worth a trip across the Chihuahuan Desert, but if you're a Stoke Newington local and crave some Mexican food, it may well satisfy.