This new Mexican restaurant serves up regional dishes so well crafted that conversation stops

Fonda , 12 Heddon Street, London W1B 4BZ. Starters and small
plates £7-£14, larger plates £23-£29, desserts £6-£11, wines from £39

At Fonda, a new Mexican restaurant off London’s Regent Street, the staff have vital information and, boy, are they determined to impart it. Usually, speeches about ingredients and the best way to eat your lunch, feel like a nail puncture purposefully engineered to let all the air out of any fun you were hoping to have. Lunch becomes an exam to be passed. Am I doing this right? Will the staff approve? Oh, the social anxiety. Today, however, there is an enthusiasm to the tableside chat and an engrossing level of detail. I’m all in, at least for now. Tell me more.