Living it up Latino style at Las Iguanas (From The Bolton News)

Living it up Latino style at Las Iguanas

3:23pm Thursday 4th June 2009 in

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Las Iguanas’s motto is “Eat Latin, Drink Latin” and at its restaurant in Deansgate that’s certainly what you get.

I was drawn to the place by the hubble and bubble coming from the diners every time I walked past — drinking al fresco and lapping up the Latino vibe. I knew it was an eatary I had to visit. Then when I found out it’s two for one on cocktails before 9pm (including pitchers) I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

Upon arrival we were encouraged to grab a drink from the bar but we barely had time to soak up the drinks menu before we were taken to our table. The restaurant was packed, but in a nice way, the atmosphere was electric and I couldn’t wait to sample the delights.

To start we picked a pitcher (or two). We went for the Tequila Sunrise — Tequila, orange juice, shaken and stirred over ice with grenadine — delicious and perfect for a balmy summer evening. At £13.50 for two it was definitely worth the money and complemented the meal no end.

Then to the food. Looking at the portion sizes around us we chose to share a starter and went for a brie and mango quesadilla — a toasted hand folded tortilla oozing with filling (£3.90) — which was actually from the tapas menu but mixing and matching is what Las Iguanas does best. Nothing was too much trouble for our friendly waitress Rebecca.

In perfect timing the dish arrived and it was a great way to start the meal — light and tasty with just enough filling to make it manageable.

Onto the mains. I chose roast duck and caramelised onion enchilada — (9.50). With just one enchilada on the plate I wondered if it would be enough to combat the effects of the cocktails but when I broke into it, I found it was stuffed with the most sumptuous duck I’ve ever tasted and the onions set the dish off with a tang.

My friend ordered classic chicken fajitas, with creamy guacamole and salsa (£12.50). He attacked it with full gusto but even he was defeated with the amount of food on the table — no need for dessert menus then.

If I could have squeezed any more in then there was an abundance to choose from. Mango and passionfruit cheesecake, chocolate bourbon toffee crunch with raspberry purée and Aztec chocolate fudge cake — warmed spiced chocolate orange sponge cake (all £4.50) to name just three.

If you’re going with friends then I would recommend the tapas menu, three dishes for £12 or five for £20. This place screams value for money. The bill came to £40 — excellent for two delightfully stuffed stomachs and slightly tiddly bodies.

Yes Las Iguanas is a chain — but it really feels like you’ve taken a step into the real Latin America. All that was left to do was strap on the salsa shoes and dance the night away.