El Cartel

The popularity of Mexican street food joints can barely be overstated; it seems you can barely make a dent in your burrito before you run into another, but if they were all like El Cartel, this would be a very welcome phenomenon.

Giving a fresh spin to a familiar concept, they offer a range of unusual and eclectic tacos, quesadillas and other Mexican faves. Fillings range from the usual suspects to such left field options as carrot, winter squash and cod. There's also an impressive drinks menu, featuring quirky cocktails, a great selection of craft beers and, of course, lashings of tequila.

Prices are reasonable, the food is well prepared and plentiful and the atmosphere is friendly. In short, El Cartel admirably sticks its head above the crowd in what is rather a saturated market, but be warned, getting a table here can take a little perseverance. There's a no-reservation policy, but thankfully the team have decised a clever little 'call-you-back' system when a table frees up, so as long as you're happy to entertain yourself for half an hour or so, you'll be well looked after. Believe us when we say that it's worth the wait.

They've been around a couple of years now, and it seems El Cartel are determined to make their mark amidst the crowded facet of Edinburgh's Gastronomic scene. Their efforts have not gone unoticed either, as they landed a place on our Best Restaurants list in our 2017 Food & Drink Survey and in 2018, they earned a spot in the Best Tacos category. This year, they've only gone and worked their way up to one of the top dogs in the Best Lunch and Dinner list, along with fellow champions Harmonium, Rose Theatre Cafe and The Roseleaf. For other contenders and more dining inspiration then you can shake a churro at, head over to our 2019 Food & Drink Survey's complete list of winners here.