Bar review: Pinche Pinche, Chapel Allerton

Serving everything from nachos and tacos to quesadillas and enchiladas it’s hard not to find something you’ll love on the menu.

But what about the drinks menu?

We decide to test out if the drinks live up to the food as we visit on a Tuesday evening.

Rushing in from the cold, we are given a warm welcome by the waiter and shown to a table by the window.

Despite there being a small bar area at the back of the cosy restaurant, we are advised by the waiter that we must order some food before we can order a drink.

It’s clear they don’t want the venue to become a go-to drinking destination, which is understandable seeing as it’s in an area that has become saturated with bars.

We order some nachos and a very generous portion of guacamole for £4.95.

As we peruse the menu, we notice there are a few tables full – mainly couples – all enjoying a meal.

The drinks menu is succinct but varied, with a few different wines, some Mexican beers such as Modelo and Pacifico, sangria and around a dozen cocktails priced at £6 each.

I opt for a strawberry daiquiri whilst my companion goes for a ‘Vodka Blimey’, made with vodka, blackberries and fresh lime juice.

We can see the bartender shaking up the cocktails in the corner of our eye but our attention is drawn elsewhere.

The huge glass window next to us offers great views over the centre of Chapel Allerton and is a great spot for people watching.

The nachos are polished off in record time and our cocktails arrive shortly after.

The daiquiri has a fresh strawberry perched on the rim of the glass as a little nod to its ingredients.

The bright pink, perfectly-chilled cocktail is bursting with a fresh strawberry flavour. My companion’s choice is also a hit, with the lime adding an extra tang to the drink.

Also on the menu is a range of tequila and mezcal – a smoky variation of the spirit which is supposed to be served straight and sipped.

It’s something new for us and we give the Illegal Mezcal Joven a try at £6.

At first the white pepper undertones are a little overpowering for the untrained palate.

But they die down after the first few sips.

We both agree its smoky aftertaste is like nothing we’ve tried before and are impressed with its flavour.

Despite the drinks not being at the forefront at Pinche Pinche, they are just as fresh and flavourful as the food – and could even give a cocktail bar a run for its money.