Review: Las Iguanas, Leeds

Situated in between the Bossa and the Red Hot restaurants on Cloth Hall Street in Leeds, Las Iguanas is a fairly new restaurant chain that uses South American dishes as its theme, most notably Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.

With the Italian themed restaurant market being saturated, companies are having to think of other flavours and countries for inspiration, such as Thai food and more recently the premium burger market and now Brazil, Mexico and Argentina with Las Iguanas.

With the warm colours of orange, yellow and turquoise they have tried to bring the light and vibrancy of Latin America to Leeds. It is also a very light and airy restaurant and they have tried to create a South American ambience with Latin music playing in the background, which I am pleased to say is not so loud that you cannot have a proper conversation!

I got the impression that they were trying to concentrate on the Cocktail market as it is Happy Hour all day, every day, so you could buy one cocktail for £7.95 and get the same one free. Or if there are a few of you, buy a pitcher for £17.95 and get the same one free. This would appeal to anyone who wants to meet up with their friends in the comfy booths that are at the back of the restaurant. You could also share one of the Tapas or starters as 3 dishes are £14.95 with 5 dishes being £24.95.

I ordered a Tropical Cooler, a blend of mango, pineapple, lime juices with lemonade. A sweet yet refreshing drink. My fellow diner thought that the wine list seemed very expensive, compared to other restaurant chains. The cheapest 125ml white wine wasn't too pricey though at £3.95 for a Verdejo, El Velero. Unfortunately the verdict was that it tasted like a very cheap wine. This is where the Cocktails come into play.

The Taco Planks as a starter were excellent. They come in various flavours and we shared a chipotle chicken, guacamole, pink pickled onions, lime and coriander one. The presentation was good and the Taco Plank was worth going to the restaurant just for this dish alone.

For mains I chose the Buenos Aires Burger: a 100% prime short rib and chunky beef patty in a toasted brioche bun with smoky pork chorizo, caramelised onion, emmental cheese and fresh herb chimichurri. This was served with straight cut chips. The verdict was that it was good but not as tasty as some of the other burgers I have tasted at say Five Guys or Byrons.

My fellow diner chose the Picanha: an 8oz rump cap sliced steak that apparently tasted as good as it looked. I wish I had chosen this as my main instead of the Buenos Aires Burger. The steak came with salsa sauces and a mixture of sweet potatoes and cassava fries. A generous lean steak it would be my main choice were I to visit again.

Puddings are of a large size. I tried the Aztec Chocolate Fudge Cake: a warm spiced chocolate orange spiced cake served with vanilla ice cream. It was very moreish whilst my fellow diner chose the Dulce de Leche Macadamia Cheesecake which was again of a generous size and described as 'very filling' but the general opinion was that the Dulche de Leche caramel sauce should be served in a separate pot and not poured over the cheesecake, so you could decide yourself how much sauce you wished to pour on.

With a very extensive vegetarian menu and also various meats such as chicken, duck and lamb being Halal they have not excluded any diner from visiting Las Iguanas.

It feels trendy, it feels upbeat and vibrant and the service is good too, with a warm atmosphere. It is worth visiting but perhaps another time I would choose one of the Mexican classics instead of the burger. Great for couples, families and 20 somethings meeting up with their friends.

Las Iguanas, 3 Cloth Hall Street, Leeds LS1 2HD
Telephone: 0113 243 9533
www.lasiguanas.co.uk