The classic Mexican street food taco made with house-made marinade. The chef offers both traditional pork al pastor and a cauliflower version, both using the same in-house technique. Reviewers consistently praise the flavour of the meat and the balance with fresh toppings.
Tips from diners
The Iberico Secreto al pastor with pickled pineapple is an excellent take on el pastor — the punchy pineapple cuts through the rich meat perfectly.
Suadero is beef short rib that's been hand-butchered and slow-cooked for days until it's tender enough to crisp at service. Multiple reviewers call this a standout taco with excellent flavour. The meat is what makes this special—whole animals are butchered daily, ensuring premium cuts and minimal waste.
Tips from diners
The suadero is the star. The meat is hand-butchered in-house and slow-cooked for days. You taste the difference.
Another slow-cooked option using lamb shoulder that's been hand-butchered and slowly cooked with traditional barbacoa spices. The result is tender, deeply flavoured meat. Reviewers praise this as one of the best taco fillings offered.
Tips from diners
The barbacoa is tender and spiced perfectly. Pair it with lime and pickled onion from the condiment bar.
Light and fresh alternative to the slow-cooked meat tacos. The fish is fried and served with pickled vegetables and fennel. Priced at £10 for two tacos, reviewers find this a solid option that shows the restaurant's versatility.
Tips from diners
The fish tacos are delicately crisp with vegetable slaw and smoked cod roe emulsion — a lighter contrast to the rich slow-cooked meats.
For evening dining when Padre expands to full plates, the carne asada plate offers grilled meat with all the sides. Priced at £36 and designed to share, it's a full Mexican feast using hand-butchered meat.
Tips from diners
The carne asada plate is served with aguachile negro and burnt spring onion for £36 — designed to share and only available during evening service.
Founded by Nicholas Fitzgerald, who trained at Pujol in Mexico City (world's top 50 restaurants) and London's Breddos Tacos, Padre opened permanently in Borough Market Kitchen in 2019. Whole animals arrive daily and are butchered in-house with minimal waste. Marinades, rubs, and sauces are all made in-house and slow-cooked for days. By day it's a grab-and-go taqueria; by evening it becomes a full sit-down Mexican restaurant spilling into the market.
By day it's grab-and-go from the counter. Queue, order, eat while standing or find a Borough Market bench.
In the evening it transforms into a sit-down Mexican restaurant with tables spilling into the market. Closes at 5pm except Saturdays.
The chef trains at Pujol in Mexico City. Everything—marinades, sauces, butchering—is done in-house. You're eating restaurant-quality tacos at market prices.
Padre sits alongside other permanent Borough Market stalls like Mei Mei, Shuk, and Juma Kitchen. The whole market is worth exploring.
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