Mi Cocina es Tuya

Down by Crystal Palace, among the Sainsbury's and the taxi ranks, Mi Cocina Es Tuya has carved out a niche for itself as the home of excellent Venezuelan food in south London. The bold flavours of Spain and South American are brought together in this innovative kitchen on Westow Street is a celebration of all that makes Venezuelan food popular across the Spanish-speaking world: bold, bright, fragrant and above all, tasty.

Mi Cocina Es Tuya is a south London Venezuelan restaurant lead by Mary and Alexis – proud promoters of this under-recognised cuisine. Crystal Palace’s in-the-loop foodies are already well aware of the charms of the food from Latin America, and the pull of this Westow Street restaurant is slowly starting to exert itself on diners from across the capital. The dining room here is light, bright and airy and guests are made to feel at home in this family-orientated spot, especially if they have kids in tow.

The beauty of Venezuelan food is that it is a mongrel cuisine: it blends Spanish influences with ideas from South America and the ingredients native to Latin America. Hence, on the menu at Mi Cocina Es Tuya on Westow Street diners are presented with a menu which offers spicy empanadas, and a riot of dishes from maize, black beans, beef, plantain, fish and chicken. This unusual combination of ingredients is part of the reason that Mi Cocina Es Tuya in Crystal Palace is proving to be so popular. The other reason for this south London success story is the famously warm Venezuelan hospitality guests receive at the hand of Mary and Alexis who welcome diners as old friends.