Lucia’s is a total scene. Whether you’re leaning in the courtyard with people subtly showing off their knock-off Gucci tote, or sitting inside and metres from flickering flames in the open kitchen, there’s a frisson in the air at the Hackney Wick taqueria. It comes from knowing what’s behind the unmarked door, a soundtrack of vinyl and mezcal bottles jangling, and the hours melting away from one round of great tacos and cold beers to the next. Like the makeshift tequila and grapefruit Jarritos ‘palomas’, Lucia’s is a little rough about the edges in the best way—and the lively crowd embraces its charm. The best dishes are the rich, fall-apart beef barbacoa tacos and big cuts of meat that touch the fire, like tender sliced lamb rump, which come with a pile of corn tortillas sprinkled with sea salt and mild saucy salsas. Not everything hits: bone marrow tacos need salsa with more oomph, and a black bean and sweet potato tostada is too one-note. But the appeal of cool and casual Lucia’s goes beyond the food.