LDNReview
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Bad Manners
Included In
It might be the proximity to gravestones but Bad Manners—a Mexican kiosk in Hackney—is one of the most peaceful places to eat excellent tacos in the city. All of the basic seating is outside, which means fresh air and the unpredictable British weather are non-negotiable. But that’s OK. Because you’re in a churchyard oasis, with big shady trees blocking out Mare Street and a strip of crispy, moreish candied bacon in your hand. That’s got to be good for your soul, if not your cholesterol.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
On sleepy weekday mornings, you can stop by on your way to work, picking up coffees and pastries before hurrying off to the station. But linger and you’ll be rewarded with hefty breakfast burritos—the same size as the arm of the toddler sitting in the pram opposite. They come stuffed with fluffy, folded eggs and generous amounts of sausage. Sensible people eat half. Hungry people eat it in one sitting. At dinnertime, larger benches are added to the grassy verge and groups of friends trickle in, building DIY tacos of barbecued meats and staying for “just one more” glass of wine before catching trains home or rolling out into Hackney pubs.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
The food is deceptively simple, but everything is done to the highest standard. Take the baja taco that comes with thick fingers of fresh, flaky fish in a crispy coating and refreshing crunchy cabbage, wrapped up in house-made tortillas. They deserve to be eaten in reverential silence. Even with the soundtrack of sizzling eggs, laughter carrying in the wind as glasses clink, and orders racking up, this spot never loses its cool.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Bacon And Egg Taco
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Birria Taco
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Baja Fish Taco
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch