There are many restaurants in Leicester Square, but Leicester Square Kitchen caught my attention when doing my research before a day trip to the area. They bring together the fabulous flavours of Mexican and Peruvian-inspired cuisine, with plenty of seafood, tacos, ceviche and dishes designed to share.
Leicester Square Kitchen Review
I love reviewing restaurants and will I always look for more than presentation. A restaurant can have a beautiful dining room and a great location, but, the food has to justify the visit. My friend and I sampled several of the dishes on our visit. Here is my honest take on what worked, what stood out and which dishes I would order again.
Leicester Square Kitchen Review
The menu encourages you to order several dishes rather than settle for one large plate. Personally, I like that approach because it gives much more choice of dishes to enjoy. It also allows the diner to compare textures, seasoning, sauces and cooking styles rather than a single dish.
The Mexican and Peruvian influences create plenty of scope for contrast, which became particularly noticeable once the food started arriving.
Leicester Square Kitchen Menu
Crispy Baja Fish with Cabbage Slaw and Habanero Mayonnaise
The crispy Baja fish was one of the first dishes to grab my attention.
This is the sort of dish where texture matters just as much as flavour. Fortunately, the combination of soft fish with crispy fish coating, crunchy cabbage slaw and creamy habanero mayonnaise gives you plenty going on. The crisp coating provides the initial impact, while the slaw brings freshness and crunch. Then comes the habanero mayonnaise, which adds heat and richness.
Instead of allowing the chilli to dominate the entire dish, the coolness and crunch of the cabbage help balance it. If you enjoy fish tacos or spicy seafood, this would be high on my list of dishes to try.
This is a fun, crunchy and flavour-packed dish that delivers plenty of contrast.
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Sea Bass Ceviche with Diced Avocado, Corn and Red Onion
The sea bass ceviche with diced avocado, corn and red onion took the meal in a completely different direction. This was the fresher and lighter option, and that contrast worked particularly well after the crispy fish. The delicate sea bass provides a clean base, while the other ingredients introduce different textures and flavours. The avocado adds creaminess, the corn brings sweetness and the red onion provides a sharper edge. Most importantly, the dish doesn’t feel heavy.
This has the freshness I expect from a good ceviche-style dish, making it an great choice if you prefer a seafood dish that isn’t too rich.
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Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño and Truffle Mayonnaise
Tacos can sometimes be difficult to make memorable because the format is so familiar. However, the combination of jalapeño and truffle mayonnaise gives these a more contemporary character. The chicken provides the savoury foundation, while the jalapeño adds a little heat. Then the truffle mayonnaise brings richness and an earthy note. For me, the sauce is what makes this dish interesting.
There is a noticeable difference between a taco that simply has ingredients piled into it and one where the individual elements actually complement each other. Here, the richness of the mayonnaise benefits from the freshness and heat of the jalapeño.
These are a modern take on the taco, with the jalapeño and truffle combination providing an interesting twist.
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Shredded Crab and Avocado Tostada with Chilli Garlic Mayonnaise
This was lovely. Again, texture plays a huge role. The crisp tostada gives you that satisfying crunch, while the crab and avocado create a much softer texture. The chilli garlic mayonnaise then brings the richness and savoury depth. I enjoyed the contrast between the delicate crab and the more assertive mayonnaise.
The crab itself doesn’t need to fight for attention, and the avocado helps soften the stronger chilli and garlic flavours. As a result, the dish feels indulgent without becoming overly complicated. This is also one of those plates where I would recommend taking your time over. The combination of crunchy, creamy, sweet and spicy elements makes it more interesting than it initially appears.
It is one of my favourites for texture, particularly if you enjoy crab and a little chilli.
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My Favourite Leicester Square Kitchen Dishes
After trying these dishes, I found that each one offered something different.
The crispy Baja fish is the dish I would choose when I want crunch and heat. The sea bass ceviche is my pick for something fresh and light. The chicken tacos provide a richer option, while the crab and avocado tostada combines some of the most interesting textures on the menu.
If I were returning with friends, I wouldn’t choose just one.
I’d order several plates and share them because that is where Leicester Square Kitchen makes the most sense to me as a dining experience.
Mexican and Peruvian Flavours: Does the Menu Work?
One of the more interesting things about Leicester Square Kitchen is the way the menu moves between Mexican and Peruvian influences.
This gives the meal plenty of variety.
The tacos and Baja-style fish bring the Mexican-inspired side, while the ceviche showcases the freshness and seafood focus associated with Peruvian cuisine. Meanwhile, ingredients such as avocado, corn, chilli, red onion and citrus help connect the different dishes.
The result is a menu that feels vibrant rather than predictable.
Is Leicester Square Kitchen Worth Visiting?
For me, Leicester Square Kitchen is worth considering if you enjoy modern Mexican and Peruvian-inspired food and prefer sharing several dishes rather than ordering a traditional starter and main course.
The location is another obvious advantage. Being in Leicester Square makes the restaurant convenient if you’re already spending time in London’s West End. It can work particularly well as part of an evening that includes theatre, shopping or drinks nearby.
Fortunately, the dishes I tried gave me enough variety to make the meal interesting, particularly when moving between crispy fish, fresh ceviche, tacos and the crab tostada.
Final Thoughts
Leicester Square Kitchen offers an enjoyable selection of colourful, flavour-driven dishes that work particularly well when shared.
For me, the biggest strength is variety. You get crunch from the Baja fish and tostada, freshness from the ceviche, richness from the mayonnaise-based sauces and plenty of chilli running through the menu.
I also liked the that the dishes vary so much in flavour, texture and presentation.
My standout dishes would be the crispy Baja fish for its combination of crunch, slaw and habanero mayonnaise, and the shredded crab and avocado tostada for its contrasting textures and chilli garlic mayonnaise.
The sea bass ceviche is the one I’d choose when I wanted something lighter, while the chicken tacos would be my choice for a more substantial Mexican-inspired bite.
Overall, Leicester Square Kitchen is a restaurant I’d recommend to diners who enjoy bold sauces, seafood, chilli, tacos, ceviche and sharing plates. It is particularly well suited to a group where everyone wants to try something different.
If you visited Leicester Square Kitchen, which would you order first: the crispy Baja fish, sea bass ceviche, chicken tacos or shredded crab and avocado tostada, and why?
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Oh, wow. That looks and sounds so good! I love how they managed to make comfort food so upscale. That’s my kind of place.
It is a great restaurant. The food is great x
Leicester Square Kitchen sounds like a fantastic place. The food has definitely sold me. I would go there all the time.
I don’t blame you!!!
Sounds like a great restaurant! I agree, menu variety is most important when selecting best places to eat. If ever I visit the area, I would surely try this restaurant, seems like their menu is worth the try.
It sure is worth trying. You will love it i’m certain x
This looks like such a wonderful dining experience! I love restaurants that offer dishes meant for sharing because it gives you a chance to try so many different flavors in one visit. Leicester Square Kitchen sounds like a lovely spot to enjoy a meal while exploring London.
Me too, it’s so much nicer to try a wider variety of dishes.
Leicester Square Kitchen looks phenomenal! It seems like they have a really great menu with tons of options and delicious things to try. Definitely going to stop by the next time I’m in town!
They do have a lovely selection to choose from x
It looks like such a pretty restaurant. I love the flowers! And the food? Oh my gosh, yes. I am a HUGE fan of tacos.
They were pretty tasty!!!
Every single one of the dishes you describe are FANTASTIC! I think this is a place I’d go to in a heartbeat! I’d pick the tostada. Or maybe the chicken tacos. Oh they all sound good!
They do don’t they. The dishes were all lovely x
This looks fantastic! The food sounds delicious, and I really like how they plated it. So many great flavor combinations, it sounds very flavorful. It is nice to find a special place like this.
It is a lovely restaurant in a really great central location.
It seems like they have a great mixture of choices here; I think everyone could find something they want. I’d love to give the crab tostada a try!
Those are really tasty. A great choice!!
The food looks fresh and vibrant. I would love to try out the ceviche and of course the tacos. I am often in the West End so this is definitely a place that I would love to try out one day!
You will love it Asha, enjoy!!!!
I enjoyed reading about Leicester Square Kitchen. The menu sounds like something I’d love to explore, and your experience made me curious about the atmosphere and dishes you tried.
I am sure you’ll love the wide variety of flavours x
The menu is so rich omg…I would love to try this restaurant out asap…Delicious.
The food is lovely x
I really enjoyed your review. It is not generic like others’ and you did really well copmaring textures and balance across the shared plates. Thanks!
Thanks Mahy. I hope you get to try their food sometime x
So good! The sea bass ceviche looks amazing. I’ve never had it with sea bass before, and I love fish tacos, so I’m all about this meal and this menu!
The food was lovely. Well worth trying!!
Ordering the Baja fish and then the sea bass ceviche is the right sequence. Sharing plates works here because the crab tostada and those tacos would be too much as four mains.
Sharing plates can work so well and allow you to try a nice range of dishes.
Wow! You had quite a feast on your outing. The Baja Crispy fish was a win for me because that habanero mayonnaise called my palate to jump right in. What I also loved about your review are the photos.
Presentation is important to me because I eat with both my eyes and my palate and poorly presented foods are a turn off.
Another thing is that I would have never guessed the cuisine from the name of the restaurant… so that was an interesting observation. Bon appetite!
Thanks Elizabeth. Presentation is important for us all. A beautifully presented dish that also tastes great will encourage diners to return regularly where possible.
The food looks so well presented! I have not heard of this type of fusion, but it seems quite interesting.
The food here is lovely. I’d strongly recommend a visit.
The food looks so good, and the presentation is absolutely beautiful! I’d love to try their chicken tacos, especially since I’m really curious to see how they taste with truffle mayonnaise. Definitely adding Leicester Square Kitchen to our list of places to try when we’re in London!
I hope you get to go and experience the flavours for yourself x
We visit Leicester Square a lot. I will have to look out for this place next time we go there.
It’s a great restaurant. You will love it!!!
Ooh I love Mexican food so this is going on my list. I am also a big fan of small plates and sharing plates! The food also looks delicious and I usually tend to stay away from very central London spots as sometimes they can be a let down but this place looks good
Laura x
This restaurant is great, well worth considering when in the area x
That’s my kind of place. It’s fancy enough for date night, but not so fancy you feel uncomfortable. The food looks amazing too.
It’s lovely there, great atmosphere and food. The staff are also very attentive.