Natalie Diaz-Fuentes and her chef husband Edson launched Santo Remedio on Shoreditch’s Rivington Street in 2016. Critics raved and queues formed. The Observer’s Jay Rayner dubbed it to be ‘full of lightness and brightness, colour, punch and enthusiasm’.
But, just five months after opening the doors, the couple were forced to shutter the restaurant permanently. The closure eventually led Natalie and Edson to relocate to London Bridge, where they have been serving up tacos, tostadas and mezcal Margaritas since 2017.
In 2022, the couple returned to Shoreditch for a second bite of the tomatillo with Santo Remedio Café. Originally the plan was to name the Shoreditch site Santo Remedio Taqueria, but eventually the pair settled on Santo Remedio Café, reflecting their aim of creating an all-day venue.
For the first in a series of Generation Next videos we caught up with Natalie on her restaurant journey so far including how she and Edson balance running a business with a young family and why it’s always a good idea to get the broadband sorted early on in a restaurant project.
In the interview, Natalie also talks about how the group navigated the pandemic and its expansion plans.