Photo: Meet Taco Manny and wife Gabriella, the dynamic duo behind Guacamoles. Their passion for authentic Mexican food, family, and community shines through as they welcome guests with warm smiles and a commitment to quality.
A Peckham Taqueria Turns Heartbreak, Hope And Handmade Tortillas Into One Of London’s Most Soulful Meals
From asylum seeker to taco legend, Taco Manny transforms hardship into extraordinary Mexican food, serving handmade tortillas, deeply comforting flavours, and heartfelt hospitality that transports diners straight to Mexico.
T he founder of Guacamoles, known as ‘Taco Manny,’ arrived in London from Mexico as an asylum seeker in 2022. Living in a hotel with his wife and young daughter on just £7 a week, opening a restaurant was never the plan. However, following a series of ‘many miracles from God,’ Guacamoles now boasts three locations and has been lauded by publications like the Financial Times and Vittles as serving the best tacos in London.
After relocating his family in search of safety, enduring the loss of a four-month pregnancy, and facing the struggles of hotel life, Manny found himself in a dark place. Following his wife’s miscarriage, he dreamt of a Mexican church. Initially confused, he later realised that God was urging him to help build churches in Mexico—he just didn’t know how. Around this time, the Council of Hounslow Arts Centre sought his restaurant expertise to help establish a brand. Although they couldn’t pay him, they offered an immigration lawyer to assist with his family’s case. Shortly after, he organised a pop-up taco event, pledging all profits back to his church. In just 15 days, he raised £3,000. Remarkably, five minutes after donating the profits, he received an email inviting him for his visa interview.
Guacamoles delivers astonishingly authentic tacos, vibrant hospitality, and deeply comforting flavours that make every meal feel profoundly personal.
While also volunteering at a Colombian restaurant to escape his hotel room, Manny noticed customers frequently asking for tacos. He realised that there was nowhere in London to find a taco that ‘felt like home—like the taqueria on the corner.’ It was then that he saw his window. The owner of the Colombian restaurant lent him much of the equipment needed to start his stall at Rye Lane Market in Peckham. Today, Manny not only runs his stall but also owns the one across from it—the very one that once belonged to the Colombian restaurant.
Highlights From the Review
- Handmade corn tortillas prepared fresh daily
- Birria slow-cooked with 17 spices
- Widely praised as serving London’s best tacos
- Founded by former asylum seeker Taco Manny
- Staffed largely by asylum seekers offered ownership opportunities
- Authentic taqueria atmosphere in Peckham
- Outstanding carnitas, pastor, and birria tacos
- Fresh guacamole paired with exceptional tortilla chips
- Perfectly balanced horchata served ice-cold
- Abuela Victoria tres leches cake described as mind-blowing
- Full feast for just £23
- Profits help fund church-building projects in Mexico
- A restaurant built on faith, family, and resilience
Manny slowly but surely found all the right vendors for his authentic Mexican ingredients and built a menu featuring some of his own recipes, some from his wife, and one dessert from his grandmother. Their corn tortillas are handmade daily, and their birria simmers for hours with 17 distinct spices. Manny’s goal is to serve food infused with a grandmother’s love in every bite. And love is exactly what I felt in the back of this unassuming food court in Southeast London.
To be honest, I was nervous about writing this review after hearing Manny’s story. Roughly 90% of his employees are asylum seekers, and he gives them the chance to become part-owners, fostering pride and aiding their immigration cases while helping them learn English. Additionally, a portion of his profits supports church-building in Mexico. And yet, he never once tooted his own horn. He credited it all to God and his family. Hence my nerves: A. How could I do such a story justice? And B. What if the food didn’t live up to the hype? How could I possibly write anything negative about this family? But hallelujah, I never had to cross that bridge.
I had the privilege of tasting their carnitas, birria, and pastor tacos, each adorned with onions and coriander. Every taco delivered a unique burst of flavour, with meat so tender it practically melted in my mouth. Just be sure to have a stack of napkins handy—otherwise, you might end up with juice down to your elbows. And yet somehow, their fresh corn tortillas still retain their integrity. While the dish is plenty flavoursome on its own, a complimentary selection of salsas awaits: a bright, zesty green; a spicy, creamy orange; and a sweet, jammy tamarind.
Of course, I couldn’t leave Guacamoles without sampling the guacamole. And let me tell you, it lived up to its name. Made with avocados, onion, tomato, lime, coriander, and nothing else, the guac tastes every bit as fresh as it sounds with a zingy lime finish, paired with a pile of crunchy tortilla chips. If chips (or crisps, since we’re across the pond) are just there to be a bland backup dancer to the dip, they at least need to be hefty enough to sustain a heaping scoop. Many of them can’t even manage to do that. Those kinds of chips are underachievers, slackers. Guacamoles’ chips, on the other hand, are the jack of all trades. Not only can they bear half a bowl of guac on one bite and complement it nicely, they are also delicious and salty enough to be eaten all on their own.
The perfect sidekick to this rich meal was a creamy, refreshing horchata filled to the brim with ICE. Many Europeans don’t seem to understand the ice concept, but it really rounds out the whole drinking experience. Horchata, made with sweetened rice milk steeped with cinnamon, is a drink and dessert all in one, though Guacamoles makes theirs with a superb balance of sweetness that isn’t overwhelming.
I leaned back in my chair, ready for a classic post-outstanding-meal nap. Manny then decides to tell me I must taste his Abuela Victoria tres leches cake, named for his grandmother Victoria who created the recipe. Manny, I wish you had told me this sooner so I could have saved some more room. Though I may not have had the willpower to stop eating anyway, so I suppose I can forgive him. And tres leches just so happens to be a favourite of mine, so how could I say no? The humble cake, priced at a mere £3.50, comes with a heap of whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and a puddle of three-milk mixture. And it blew my mind. I’ve never encountered a tres leches that wasn’t a bit soggy—I figured it simply comes with the territory. Until now. I’m not sure what magic Manny works in his kitchen, but their cake somehow entirely maintains its structure while still fully soaked and glistening.
For those of you who have had genuine Mexican food and have been on the hunt for it in London, search no further. For those of you who have never tried authentic Mexican food, I implore you to give Guacamoles a visit. So basically, everyone needs to go.
Through Manny and his staff’s warm welcome, the vibrant colours, spicy aromas, and the lively crowd drinking beers at picnic tables, you will truly feel transported to a corner taqueria in Mexico. And the cherry on top? Three tacos, salsas, chips and guac, horchata, and a slice of cake only cost £23. If you visit on a weekend, you may need to withstand long queues and a fight for a table, but a taste of an Abuela’s love makes it all worthwhile.
