Restaurants / Restaurant review
Alta Loma, Upper Maudlin Street: ‘Transforming the humble into a delicacy’ – restaurant review
A new opening on Upper Maudlin Street, Alta Loma, had the potential to deliver all of my favourite things within the confines of its four walls.
A taco spot that doubles as a record shop from the minds behind Stolen Body Records, the only thing the venue risked was that its concept could outweigh execution.
My concern, however, was soon quashed.
is needed now More than ever
Alta Loma is finally open after over a year of delays
When my dining partner and I arrived for an early lunch one weekday afternoon, most tables in the small dining area were full.
This served as the perfect excuse for us to head downstairs to pore over the records and compile a wish list of vinyls to buy.
We came back upstairs with an even larger appetite and managed to score ourselves a table within full view of their open plan space.
The record shop downstairs stocks an impressive selection of independent music
A glance at the menu was enough to realise that we were totally spoiled for choice.
From the promising options of tacos, sides, salsas and drinks, we ultimately opted for a bit of everything.
First to arrive was a crispy portion of Mexican oregano fries (£3.50), which I imagined more as a filler, but the team had managed to transform the humble French fry into a delicacy that left us both fighting for the scraps.
Alta Loma’s mouth-watering food just gets better with every bite
Then came the first of our tacos: their succulent signature Alta Loma birria (£10.50).
Loaded with pickled red onions, salsa roja and an incredible, smoky salsa macha that had me searching recipes, this dish was immaculate.
They were served with a brilliant dipping broth, but each bite felt so perfectly curated that it wasn’t even necessary.
Next to arrive were the pork carnitas (£9).
Melting pulled pork shoulder, salsa and onions were met this time with a dusting of chicharrones.
This salty, crushed pork crackling added the perfect finishing touch and, when paired with the complimentary hot sauce on our table, soon became a contender for my death row meal.
The restaurant also has a deli corner to fulfill every hot sauce or spice need
Wanting to branch out a little, we went for a portion of the vegetarian plantain tacos (£8), which I must admit, I was slightly more sceptical about.
But the team at Alta Loma scored a point yet again, as these were once again astounding.
The caramelised, crispy dish saw the return of my favourite salsa macha, along with an avocado verde that I would’ve happily eaten by the bucketload.
It might have taken over a year of delays for Alta Loma to open doors, but the wait was well worth it.
Considering we started texting our friends about Alta Loma before we had even left the restaurant, I can confidently call the trip a success with a date for our next trip already in the diary.
Alta Loma, 18 Upper Maudlin St, Bristol BS2 8DJ
All photos: Susie Long
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