Dalston Mexican restaurant Corrochio’s to quadruple in size following site expansion

Owners Daniel Corrochio and Amy McQuarrie have taken over the former Turkish supermarket site housed above their original 30-cover basement restaurant and are set to launch it as Corrochio’s Cocina & Cocteleria on 5 May, which coincides with Mexico’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

The original basement restaurant, meanwhile, will be repurposed as a bar called Cinco, which will specialise in lesser-known agave and Mexican spirits served alongside a tight menu of small plates.

“The expansion is a dream come true for us, and gives us the opportunity to widen our offering and to experiment more,” says Corrochio and McQuarrie, who launched Corrochio’s as a permanent restaurant back in 2021 following a successful pop up at The Bluecoat’s Pub in Tottenham.

“But at the most basic, and perhaps most important level, it simply allows us the space to provide all of the above to even more people.”

Cocina & Cocteleria will serve a menu of contemporary Mexican bar food and regional specialities.

Dishes will include enchiladas verdes, which originate from the state of Puebla and feature corn tortillas filled with chicken, potato and chorizo or potato and served in a poblano and verde sauce with a dash of refried beans, cream, cheese, onions and avocado; and huaraches from Mexico City, a handmade corn guajillo ‘fatbread’ with refried beans, salsa, onions, gualsa and cream, served with a choice of pork carnitas, pork pastor, grilled cactus, or jackfruit al pastor.

As with the original Corrochio’s, cocktails are set to be an important part of the overall experience with options including a cantarito, which is served in a traditional clay cup and features Arette tequila paired with citrus and grapefruit soda.

“Our goal has always been to provide an honest and authentic home-away-from-home for those who appreciate Mexican culture and cuisine,” adds Corrochio and McQuarrie.

The design of the new space will comprise of walls of natural cream and green tones adorned with cacti and foliage, with a mosaic from the Hackney Mosaic Project acting as a focal point.