La Carnita

Mexican food can be hit or miss but is this Toronto export worth its salt?

Starting as a simple pop-up food stand in Toronto, selling artwork and giving away free tacos, La Carnita has gone on to become a restaurant chain, with six branches in its native Canada and another in the US. And now, the basement of the Intercontinental Dubai Marina, is the restaurant’s first Middle East outpost.

The décor is reminiscent of an East London hipster dive bar-come-warehouse. Think moody lighting, red booths and wall-to-wall street art. Don’t expect a quiet sit-down meal here: old school hip hop and R&B tunes blare loudly and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re in a club come the early hours.