Tocayo, Old Market: 'Something’s gone seriously wrong if a Mexican twist on a cooked breakfast isn’t pretty damn good'
Can this Mexican-inspired café live up to bold claims to be the ‘best brunch in Bristol’?
Mexican is possibly my favourite cuisine, so any such restaurant that opens in Bristol has my immediate attention. You’ll have to trust me when I say Kathryn Sumner is very well qualified when it comes to assessing the latest Old Market offering from the Chido Wey team. I should point out that Kathryn visited in August when the weather was scorchio, hence the references to good weather, which sadly is already a distant memory. But if there’s one thing that can bid hasta luego to grey days, it’s a Mexican breakfast in a radiant surrounding.
Old Market has long been flying the rainbow flag for Bristol’s LGBTQ+ communities.
But it’s fair to say that when I first wandered through it some 20 years ago, it was hard to imagine it becoming one of the city’s go-to food spots. At that time Cabot Circus hadn’t yet rolled into town, Finzel’s Reach was still well out of, er, reach and Easton was more likely to be left off estate agents’ books. Times have changed and, while there’s much to say about Bristol’s ever-shifting neighbourhoods, change in this case has never smelt so delicious.
The sister and neighbour of popular Cali-Mexican place Chido Wey, Tocayo’s opening on Old Market Street follows hot on the heels of Gigi’s Pizza, which has achieved the impressive feat of entering a totally saturated market and raising the already sky-high bar. The heady scents of melted cheese and chipotle now greet people heading down Old Market Street.
Tocayo has taken Instagram by storm, with diners falling over themselves to back up claims that this new venture offers ‘the best brunch in Bristol’. I can’t help but feel all the hype slightly detracts from the friendly, down-to-earth atmosphere I always loved about Chido Wey, but who can fault a business for making the most of social media’s power? Looking up whether or not you can book a table (you can’t), I also enjoyed the website, which gives the distinct impression someone discovered the ‘words fade in’ tool on a PowerPoint presentation.
It’s with high expectations we head in for brunch amid a British heatwave that makes it easy enough to imagine we’re in the heart of Mexico City, where incidentally, I did have possibly the best brunch of my life.
The building that was most recently home to 25A Old Market has received a Mexican-style glow-up: plants hang above a large, beautifully tiled table for diners, while yet more customers spill out onto tables and chairs on the sunny pavement outside. It feels fresh, vibrant and full of character.
Downstairs paints a different picture. The basement dining area, no doubt cosy in our normal cooler weather, is not the place to be in the midst of a summer heatwave and looks about as comfortable as Keir Starmer being quizzed on trans rights. Not that this seems to remotely perturb the people happily tucking into their brunch below ground level.
Meanwhile, upstairs at the bright, breezy tiled table, service is as warm as the current weather (in a good way). Dietary requirement? No problem, items can be swapped. Want a few extra corn chips for extra dipping? Coming right up.
It’s bustling, bold and actually bloody lovely.
Orange juice (£3.90 and worth every penny) comes ice cold and proper fresh (like the kind you usually only get abroad), while the oat milk cappuccino (£3.70) is flawless in look and taste. Despite this, I’d be tempted to pass it by on future visits in favour of the café de olla (£3.90). Served in a small glass pot (which is already a winner), it is dangerously strong, rich and sweet, and lightly flavoured with traditional spices.
It could be argued that something’s gone seriously wrong if a Mexican twist on a cooked breakfast isn’t pretty damn good. And the full Mexican (£14.90, adapted to accommodate a dairy and egg allergy) is testament to this. It’s a timeless combination of refried beans, zesty avocado and tortillas. Then, borrowed from the vegan breakfast to make up for the lack of eggs and chorizo, scrambled tofu and plantain, which is grilled to perfection (as was the bacon that arrives slightly late but sizzling).
Full disclosure, I have a Mexican sister-in-law who grinds her own corn to make a masa (dough) and then hand presses tortillas. This creates a tortilla with a flavour like no other I’ve managed to find in Bristol. My search continues, but Tocayo’s are fresh and better than your average.
Now, where to begin with the glistening, egg-topped mountain of fried tortilla chips that is the chilaquiles (£10.90). This fabulous Mexican mess brings all the indulgence of queso fresco and crema, balanced by fresh avocado and cilantro (coriander) and given a good, strong kick by the salsa verde. This is the blend of flavours and textures you didn’t know you needed — and it just keeps going. At a high risk of offending an entire continent, this is like nachos – but much better! For a brunch of pure satisfaction, this might just be my new go to.
A collaboration with Clifton Village-based Otomí means you can also gather your own ingredients to keep the Mexican culinary dream alive at home, a bonus for those of us based in east Bristol who previously trekked up to Clifton for our cans of chipotle chillies.
Pausing to chat about possible pop-up plans and whether there’ll be a spicy margarita on the menu anytime soon (an alcohol licence is impending, so we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed) – we spot a vast box of habanero chillis in the fridge – or so we think. Eagerly gathering some to add to our bill, we’re told with good authority by the kitchen staff the bright red peppers are actually scotch bonnets (the habanero’s closely related cousin, more commonly found in Caribbean cooking than Mexican).
This is contrary to what’s written on the box, and I’m not convinced. We buy some for further investigation, because, while I don’t have the knowledge to have the courage of my convictions, I know someone who does.
My earlier fears that the Chido Wey winning formula might have lost some of its charm with the well-polished Instagram-focused launch of Tocayo are allayed by the warmth of the welcome. Like the neighbourhood it calls home, this business is clearly evolving but it remains fun, inclusive and true to its roots (regardless of whether it knows its habaneros from its scotch bonnets).
One of Bristol’s most vibrant areas just got a bit more colourful.
All words and photos by Kathryn Sumner
Tocayo, 25A Old Market St, BS2 0HB
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