La Latina, Toronto

150 Eglinton Ave E, Toronto ON

So turns out I was late to the brisket on everything club. Slabbed on tacos, nachos — you name it, La Latins’s got it on their menu.

La Latina is more than just food, though; its culinary nostalgia.

This spot brought me on an indulgent journey through the heritage and culture of South American cuisine. Being made with ingredients that reflect the agricultural richness of South American geography and climate, each dish brought diversity and each bite enlivened my tastepectations!

Dishes at this charismatic South American x Latin fusion spot in Midtown Toronto were prepared and served within minutes after ordering. Together with its hip vibe and neon interior aesthetic that everyone and their mother looks for when choosing a ‘trendy’ restaurant, La Latina surely checks all the boxes.

The service was fast — maybe even too fast! It was quite the challenge to keep up with all the deliciousness at such a high-speed and to 'digest' one latin-inspired plated creation before moving onto the next tasteful palate-blessing surprise. No complaining, though, because who doesn't love a challenge like this? Keep em' coming!

Ok, but can we talk about the La Latina ~ aesthetic 😍. Hip neon art and wall work make the inside bright, colourful and effortlessly vibeey in feel. Accents of greenery quenched all my tropical dreams and made me feel like I was on a retro-relaxation vacation in space, in another world. After a global pandemic and excess quarantine blahh-ness, this scenery and multi-sensory dining experience was so invigorating and very very necessary for the heart, mind and soul.

Live music complemented our dinner — and I highly advise you to let it complement yours too every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday's ;) Slow, jazzy and more romantic versions of Dua Lipa are where its at. Trust me, you must experience it for yourself while biting into your taco(s). Ugh, exquisite. True chef's kiss 🤌.

Maize-based appetizers and mains made for smart sharing options. Dabble into a little bit of everything — you’ll be happy you did!

Portion sizes were everything, especially for the price. Can we take a moment to appreciate a generous portion in today’s time... I've found that hard to come by nowadays. BUT La Latina is NOT stingy on portion sizes unlike comparable restaurants that charge either per tiny taco or for a ‘taco’ loaded with lettuce and 1 pinky-sized amount of protein. La Latina, thank you for getting this right!

The food was fresh like I’ve never defined the word before and the drinks were no joke — very strong, tapping again into the ‘you get exactly what you pay for and nothing less’ personality trait of La Latina. Who else needs more non-judgemental, generous, loyal things/people in their life like La Latina?! 🙋‍♀️.

Heres what we ordered:

Grilled Corn ($10)

9.5/10

Grilled and seasoned with chili lime powder and green herb dressing

Corn isn’t usually my first choice for an appetizer but La Latina's loaded Mexican corn is a must. It sat so pretty on that plate, like it was posing for a photoshoot (which I in fact conducted …see above!) Though, the pictures don't even do justice to the taste of everything we ordered. Point blank: you must try for yourself!

Combined, these spices created a tangy yet smokey barbecue flavour unlike anything my palate has ever experienced. It had a slight kick to it but overall exceeded my Mexican street corn expectations!

Chicken Tacos ($16, 3 tacos)

6/10

Piri Piri chicken thighs, avocado, pico verde, crispy chicken skin, queso fresco

The chicken was tender and fresh. These were, in my opinion, spicy🌶 — the heat was too overpowering for me in all honesty. If you like lots of heat, these are for you!

The avocado and queso fresco added a nice zesty sweetness which was great. Overall delicious but I wish they weren’t as spicy so I could really enjoy all the inside flavours more thoroughly.

Shrimp Tacos ($20, 3 tacos)

9/10

Grilled shrimp, gribiche sauce, baby gem lettuce, tomatoes and cilantro

Bomb. Period. The shrimp were melt-in-your-mouth exquisite. So tender and perfectly salted. That gribiche sauce and slight cilantro moment did these tacos right! Soooo good.

Brisket Nachos ($21)

10/10

Pulled brisket nachos with sour cream and spicy pineapple salsa

These were unbelievable, right down to the house made corn tortilla chips. I’ve never had brisket but boy was I in for a pleasant, life changing awakening. The pineapple salsa was only subtly pineapple-tasting but its sweet hot kick really topped off each bite of loaded nacho perfection. Oozy cheese and all, 10/10.

P.s. La Latina's all you can eat seafood menu runs Wednesdays and Thursdays and, you already know, taco Tuesdays with mariachis on Tuesdays!

Takeout or dine in is also available — but I vouch for dine-in because what’s a taco night without the fun add ons, especially the ones offered at La Latina!

Quality ingredients + a hip Latin fusion experience + live music = the real definition of food for the soul.

Let me know your verdict when you try this hidden gem for yourself!

Until my next dose of YUM,

xx Sab