Mariachi
- Food served: Mon–Sat noon–11pm; Sun 2–10pm
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 5
- Also offers: Gluten-free options, Children's portions, Children's high chairs, Wheelchair access, Outdoor tables (smokers welcome)
- Music on stereo: Traditional Mexican
- Capacity: 160
- Largest group: 120
- Open since: 2001
- Average price 2 courses:
£15.50 (lunch)
£15.50 (evening meal) - House wine: £12.50 per bottle
This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.
Mariachi’s location, bang in the middle of the Old Town, with outdoor dining when the weather permits, means it is ideally placed to pick up passing trade. However, a full house of 160 diners is not uncommon, especially at weekends, so it’s worth booking in advance. The popularity of the restaurant, with its neutral décor and soundtrack of traditional Mexican music, can be attributed to a relaxed atmosphere, efficient service and an intriguing sourcing policy, which means many of the products come from South America, while high quality meat is acquired locally. The menu is graded for spiciness, so, for example, a triple rated starter such as chilli mushrooms will satisfy the most adventurous palate, while traditional nachos or potato wedges are a milder option. Succulent grills come with a range of sauces such as Mexicana, which is a rounded mix of tomatoes, peppers and jalapeños, while alternatives include rice and tortilla dishes or sizzling fajitas, which come stir fried with a range of ingredients including Mariachi’s blend of spices which promotes the dish into something more than standard fare. And, if there’s still room, the selection of desserts includes a slab of moist carrot cake that will be big enough to share.
- High point: Carefully sourced ingredients
- Low point: Diners without bookings often turned away
Comments
- 1. wobble, edinburgh – 4 April 2009, 3:32amReport
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I have been to mariachi many times and I just love it ! food is second to none and service is amazing, just watch out for the tequilla - it hits you on the way out, but nights out with great food, fab atmosphere, coupled with plenty of your favourite tipple just dont come much beter than this !
- 2. Adit, Edinburgh – 5 May 2009, 7:09pm
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I was a bit disappointed with the food here. It was uninspiring and average. I felt like it was a bit of a tourist trap. The fajita kits you buy in the supermarket are tastier than the fajitas here. A good atmosphere for a party, nice cocktails but if it's quality Mexican food you want, give it a miss.
- 3. ChrisR, Edinburgh – 20 June 2009, 11:02pm
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I went there a couple days ago with my wife and we absolutely loved it. The nacho's were incredibly tasty, the chili mushrooms made our nose runs (superb!) and the fajita's and steak we had were gorgeous. The margerita's were really good also. Definitely recommend this for anyone looking for something Mexican and/or a bit spicy.
- 4. CactusK, Edinburgh – 25 June 2009, 3:40pmReport
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As a person who grew up around truly inspirational and authentic mexican food, I can say that I was completely disappointed with the food at Mariachi. The guacamole was not fresh and the salsa had a distinctly Indian flavor about it - as did the fajitas. While the margaritas were all right, they were nothing to get overly excited about. I have had far tastier versions elsewhere. There are better Mexcian restaurants in Edinburgh to choose from so one really has to wonder how this place was hitlisted
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