Poncho No. 8 – Another City of London/Shoreditch Burrito Contender

Poncho No 8
5 Steward Street
London E1 6AJ

Good +


Poncho No 8 is located quite close to The Flying Burrito although this location is quite a bit more upmarket as it is located closer to both Spitalfields and Liverpool Street Station.  The location is light and bright with a white overall theme and punchy yellow and green.  It seems to sit somewhere between the more corporate Tortilla and the more independent Flying Burrito.

Due to distance from the office, and the fact that it’s closed on the weekend I had to head there after work before it closed at 6:00.  It was dead quiet, but the staff were still happy to serve.  They were out of pork, so I had the Barbacoa Beef instead.  They offer a choice of mild (pinto) or spicy (black ) beans, and the black beans did indeed have some bite.  I also had sour cream, guacamole, salad, spicy salsa (an opaque red sauce), tomatoes, and all burritos come with rice.  My partner had chicken, pinto beans, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, mild salsa (salsa verde), and tomatoes.  I could clearly taste the guacamole which was worth the extra 70p, and again the combination of the two ‘sauces’ the spicy to give it some bite and then the freshness of the tomatoes, was key.  The pork was well cooked and not dry.

Pricing for the burritos depends on the meat chosen – the chicken comes in at GBP5.60 to GBP5.80 for the Beef Barbacoa.  I think it’s fairly reasonable for the quality, being slightly more expensive than The Flying Burrito and slightly less than Tortilla.

I thoroughly enjoyed my burrito experience and would definitely recommend Poncho No 8.  The burrito was thoroughly flavoursome and I could taste all the ingredients.  It was fresh, creamy, and bursting with flavour.  The spicy options I chose had some bite, and it was definitely large enough.  The restaurant is clean, and bright.

Decor: Bright and fresh.  I can only remember a couple tables, so it’s not really a sit down joint.
Price: In line with the burrito market in general.  Not free but not the most expensive burrito.
Atmosphere: Well, I went after five so it was very quiet but I imagine it could get pretty hopping at lunch.
Good For: Lunch to go, or an early dinner!