Soho feels hectic as of late. The streets are crammed, and pubs pour out mercilessly onto already cluttered pavements. Of course, it’s lovely to see central London thriving, but such overstimulation can lead to the urge to stay at home, rather than tackle the human gauntlet that is Old Compton Street on a Thursday night.
The menu brims with fresh and flirty ceviches
But instead of bedrotting, have you ever thought of trying… Fitzrovia? Essentially Soho without the faff, there are many excellent things that might draw you to this comparatively peaceful neighbourhood on the calmer side of Oxford Street. Cometa is the latest.
If it looks familiar, that’s because it is. Inside the former wine bar space at Carousel, this Mexican-inspired seafood restaurant is about the lighter, less carb-conscious side of Latinx cuisine, with nary a taco in sight. This is Tulum for the Mounjaro masses, and the menu brims with fresh and flirty ceviches, tart fish crudos, and other things you might want to eat by a breezy beach while considering skipping your flight home in favour of reading tarot at a surf shack.
First, come oysters. Large and fleshy, they’re served with a funky, fermented petróleo that hums with a potent bloody mary kick, as well as a suspicious brown pipette that contains a gentle hot sauce. They are a signpost for a meal that’s all about freshness underlayed with a creeping confidence. The prawn, burnt mandarin and ginger ceviche is served far soupier than ceviches normally are on these shores, and it’s all the better for it, a kaleidoscopic bowl that’s at turns sweet and tart, and simply incredibly good. Blue corn tortillas on the side dolloped with sour cream are rendered unnecessary. A spoon is all you need.
Creamy crab rice, decorated with smoked eel cream, is surprisingly airy, meaning it’s up to some burly lobster flautas to provide sturdiness, delivered via the deeply British addition of Spenwood cheese, next to the hum of xnipec habanero salsa, and a meaty mole for dipping. Seabass is cooked expertly, the skin crisp and its flaky flesh weightless, delivered in a swirl of mole verde and chile de arbol salsa. It is perhaps a little too salty, but that might just be because it was impossible to stop dipping fries into the addictive sauce.
The lightness of the food means desserts are no trouble, and a ‘citrus bonanza’ offers a Mexican take on the classic Italian holiday pudding of a lemon stuffed with sorbet. This is more ambitious, with the addition of grapefruit granita, and neon pink rhubarb sorbet. If you’re after a more delicate kind of cuisine, Cometa does dainty with serious style.
The vibe A chilled out, grown-up spot in the ever-shifting Carousel dining complex, with big sharing mains around the £50 mark, but smaller starters around £15-25.
The food Graceful Mexican seafood dishes made with seasonal British ingredients.
The drink Lots of fun cocktails, including a delightful house margarita pumped full of fruity tamarind.
Time Out tip There are so many great pubs nearby, check out our ranking of the best boozers in Fitzrovia here.
RECOMMENDED: Time Out’s 20 best Mexican restaurants in London.