Our punter says

Grace Chau, who lives near Canary Wharf in east London, eats out two to three times a week, and her favourite cuisine is vegetarian food from the Middle East. Her most memorable dining out experience was at Osip in Bruton.

Hidden underground in the basement of a five-storey townhouse, El Ta’Koy is an exotic delight. The space is dark, intimate and buzzy, with tropical green wallpaper and woven lampshades.

The menu is vast, with a selection of sharing plates, small snacks and tacos, all washed down with colourful tiki-inspired cocktails (featuring a lot of rum). There were enough veggie options but you would be amiss if you didn’t eat fish. It was reasonably priced given the quality of the ingredients and generous portion sizes. We shared five dishes, which was a hearty amount of food for two and left us feeling full.

We started with the guacapoke – a large bowl of nachos layered with zingy guacamole and loaded with plenty of tuna. From looking at the menu, it seemed quite expensive for a starter but felt justified with the amount of fresh ahi tuna included.

Next up were some of the small snacks. The aubergine empanada was unique in texture and flavour, stuffed with spicy black beans, plantain and tofu. The pastry was lightly fried, giving it a crisp bite on the outside and soft, slightly sweet filling. The mushroom lumpia, a Hawaiian take on a spring roll, was filled with mushrooms and served with a creamy kimchi and chipotle sauce. The pastry was crisp but if I had to let one dish go it would have been this one.

Lomi salmon tostadas were next. Cured salmon, avocado, wasabi, aïoli, lemon cream and ikura, all piled on a sturdy, crisp base. Despite being heavily loaded, the tostada didn’t crack, which to me is a good sign. The ahi tuna poke tacos share similar flavours to the guacapoke – it would have been nice to have more variety.

The sea bass ceviche was standout. Served on ice in a bamboo bowl with edamame, Thai chilli, coconut and lime, the sea bass was tender with a firm, meaty texture. I would have liked the ceviche to be one of the first dishes served, as opposed to the last.

Everything was thoughtfully presented, plated on beautiful ceramics. All in all, a very tasty meal with unique flavours that transport you somewhere tropical.

Bill for two, including service: £103.52 Atmosphere: 7

Service: 7

Food: 9

Total: 23/30