Tigermilk Spitalfields. Discover Where French Style Meets Latin American Flavour.

Andy Mossack reviews the new Tigermilk Spitalfields restaurant.

Tiger’s milk is a ceviche marinade made from fresh lime juice, chilies, fish sauce, garlic, and coriander. However, in Peru it is regarded as an aphrodisiac and a hangover cure. Perhaps the latter is more relevant at Tigermilk Spitalfields considering the number of bottles of spirits encircling the bar. Six metres high of shelving showcasing over 2,000 bottles of spirits and a selection of more than 250 tequilas and mezcals.

Since opening its first Latin American inspired restaurant in Paris in 2019, this ambitious French company founded by entrepreneurs Nina and Alexis Melikov, has exploded across France, added another branch in Brussels, and opened its first outlet in the UK in London’s theatre district on Tottenham Court Road in 2025. Bringing their total restaurant roster to thirteen.

It’s a bold move to get another outpost so quickly, but fortune favours the brave as the saying goes and dropping anchor in the centre of London’s iconic and hip Spitalfields is certainly an impressive statement of intent.

And what a statement. The place is cavernous, pretty much double the size of its west end sibling at almost 300 covers. Cavernous perhaps, but with a definitively premium look throughout its two main rooms; the aforementioned main bar area and open kitchen, and an equally spacious library room at the rear, the walls lined with stacks of hardcover books from floor to ceiling.

I was there the evening after its grand opening, and it was heaving. Mainly due, I later discovered, to the offer of an opening discount to veteran customers from Tigermilk Tottenham Court Road. Well, if you want to stress test the system, you might as well throw everything at it.

That said, despite a few short delays to the food delivery, our service went remarkably well.

We kicked off with a couple of drinks and a very moreish cup of fresh guacamole with red onion and a side of tortilla chips (£7.50). “How do you like your guacamole, spicy or plain” I was asked. “A little of both please” I replied, no doubt raising the temperature of the kitchen’s stress levels a few notches. My Oaxacan Negroni (£12.50) was delicious; a concoction of Ojo De Dios Café Mezcal, Campari, Dubonnet, Frangelico, and Bittermens Xocolatl Mole, while my companion’s Rioja Blanca La Maldita (£9) was equally quaffable.

Next up a couple of typical Mexican starters. Tacos de Cochinita Pibil (£8.50) overnight-cooked spicy pulled pork in two corn tortillas with salsa verde and red onion pickle. Really fresh tasting, with excellent soft pulled pork. The Tuna Turner (£7.90) besides being a terrible pun, was two crispy corn tostadas with marinated tuna on a bed of pickled red onions, guacamole and coriander. Another zesty snack that didn’t disappoint.

As the mayhem continued all around us, I took a moment to wander over to the open kitchen, where to their credit, the entire brigade was flat out. Numerous boxes of fresh avocados were piled up to one side demonstrating that Tigermilk’s mantra of ‘everything fresh’ wasn’t simply a marketing gimmick.

Our dining neighbours on either side both turned out to be regulars at Tigermilk Tottenham Court Road and felt the new sibling was every bit as good and vowed to return. High praise indeed.

We were just getting into the finer details with them both when our main course arrived triumphantly carried across the room like a trophy. A huge sharing platter of T-Bone Agave Y Chile. (£71.90). More than enough for 3 people to share, this was a glorious whole cut of Côte De Boeuf ready-sliced with the bone added on the side as decoration. The meat was melt-in-your-mouth delicious and I couldn’t fault it. I’m not even convinced it needed any of the salsas it was that good.

There were another two sharing plates choices we could have picked: Barbacoa (£63.90) 8-hours slow-cooked pulled beef served with warm tortillas and a trio of salsas, and Lamb Al Brasero (£64.90) another 8-hour slow-roasted British lamb joint with similar sides.

We washed our platter down with an equally glorious glass of Argentinian Tilia – Malbec (£9) which gave the meat the respect it certainly deserved.

Tigermilk comes over as an authentic slice of Latin American fare. And although we didn’t get around to tasting the two signature ceviches (£17.90 and £19.50) they certainly looked impressive as they relentlessly whizzed past our table enroute to their respective diners.

If you want to get a mental picture of Tigermilk Spitalfields, think of a restaurant on the scale of something you might find in Miami or LA with plenty of tables to churn. And they will certainly need to do just that to meet their ambitious financial targets. The Melikovs say their strategy has always been to have restaurants that have a high-end look, with the capacity for plenty of covers, but without the premium price tag. In other words, a lot of table churning. They openly say they are already debt free, which to me is an indicator their ambitious game plan is working.

Tigermilk Spitalfields is not for diners looking for a long and quiet romantic night out. But if you’re keen to find a fun place with bags of atmosphere, great people watching and tasty Latin American food and drink, it ticks every one of those boxes. And perhaps a perfect opportunity to test out that Peruvian hang over cure.