Best world food in London

Remember that delicious, freshly made, cheap-as-chips taco you ate on the street in Mexico, washed down with an ice-cold beer? Or the steaming dumplings and fragrant curries on offer at Bangkok markets?

We all love the diverse foods sold at the roadside in exotic destinations — and the good news is that you can now tuck into worldwide street snacks right here in London. A host of restaurants now offer these inexpensive and delicious treats on their menus. Here's our round-up of the best of the bunch.

South American Ceviche at Gaucho
Gaucho has just launched its summer menu featuring ceviche and tiraditos. Ceviche is a South American delicacy originating in Ecuador and Peru. Seafood is poached, cured in salt and citrus juices and served with chilli and coriander. In Peru it comes with cold potato or corn and, in Ecuador, with popcorn. Try tiger prawns in a roasted tomato and lime sauce, baby squid with red onion, chilli, cucumber and Gaucho's special Bloody Mary sauce (£9.25). Tiraditos come more thinly sliced and uncured — we love the scallops with chilli, mango, coriander and coconut citrus sauce (£12).
Gaucho Piccadilly, 25 Swallow Street, W1 (020 7734 4040)

Pan Asian hawkers' market at Gilgamesh
Every Monday night Gilgamesh's Babylon Lounge plays host to a Pan Asian hawkers' market bursting with stalls. And best of all is that each dish is only £3. You buy tokens as you arrive and hand them to the stall vendors in exchange for a plethora of options from the weekly-changing menu. Star dishes are the red tofu curry, chicken satay skewers, prawn dumplings and Peking duck pancakes. There's even a dessert stall serving green tea tiramisu.
Gilgamesh, Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, NW1
(020 7428 4922)

Street food Sunday brunch at La Porte des Indes
If you're after a family affair, head to La Porte des Indes on Sundays — there's kids' entertainment and live jazz for the grown-ups, giving you time to tuck into the delicious Indian brunch from the street food stalls.
Load your plate up with ragda pattice, savoury potato cakes with a spicy chickpea mash plus tamarind chutney, and masala dosa — crispy rice pancakes with a spicy potato mash and coconut chutney. It's £25 for all you can eat.
La Porte des Indes, 32 Bryanston Street, W1 (020 7224 0055)

Indian thalis at Chowki
the constantly changing menu here takes diners on a culinary road trip through the subcontinent's dhabas, or roadside cafés, and guarantees authentic street food. Regional cuisines on the current menu are those of Rajasthan, Kerala and Hyderabad.

From Rajasthan there's lal mas, lamb cooked in a special pot to seal in its juices. From Kerala there's allepy prawn curry and then Hyderabadi chicken curry. Dishes (£6.95-£9.95) come with rice or pay £3.50 extra for dal and naan.
Chowki, 2-3 Denman Street, W1, (020 7439 1330)

Taiwanese tapas at Keelung
This brand-new offering specialises in authentic Taiwanese street food from the night markets of Keelung. Highlights include crab meat dumplings, prawn won tons in piquant chilli sauce and crispy oysters (£2.60-£6). There are also larger dishes, such as clay-pot chicken with shaoxing (rice wine) and goji berries (£8.50). For a refreshing and traditional brew, drink ice pearl tea with milk — iced sweet tea flavoured with tapioca balls which you suck up through giant straws (£2.50).
Keelung, 6 Lisle Street, WC2 (020 7734 8128)

Mexican tacos at Taqueria
In Mexico, taquerias line every street and range from makeshift road-side stalls to little cafés. Taqueria, the most authentic Mexican joint in London, offers a dizzying array of tacos, all served on soft tortillas with carnitas (shredded slow-cooked pork, green salsa, jalapeño, onion, coriander) and chorizo jostling with carne asada (chargrilled skirt steak, avocado and salsa) and tinga (shredded chicken, onion, tomato and avocado), all from £4. Also on offer are tostadas (crisp-fried open tortillas) and quesadillas (soft ­tortillas with cheese).
Taqueria, 139-143 Westbourne Grove, W11 (020 7229 4734)