La Salsa, Wolverhampton

The newest restaurant in Wolverhampton puts a hot and spicy spin on what's on offer in the city,

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What Wolverhampton lacks in chain restaurants, it goes some way in making up for in independent dining options.

And while a few, such as the ill-fated Italian restaurant Sopranos, fail to find favour with local diners and quickly close, others like Bella prove that there is demand for good quality restaurants in the city centre – a demand which so far has been overlooked by the likes of Pizza Express, Café Rouge and La Tasca.

So the news that another independent restaurant has opened its doors is to be welcomed – although only time will tell whether La Salsa, on Stafford Street, is a hit or miss.

Giving Mexican food fans an alternative to the branches of Chiquitos at Wednesfield and Dudley, La Salsa opened its doors a few months ago claiming to offer "great traditional food".

And when you step through the doors you definitely know you are dining Latino-style. Sombreros hang from the walls – and loud Latin American music blares out from the speakers for anyone still unsure.

The menu is quite simple, split as it is into the various popular dishes which make up the cuisine such as quesadillas, wraps and fajitas.

For those a little unsure of Mexican flavours one of the sharing platters (£14.95 for four) is a great place to start.

It comes loaded with barbecue chicken wings, baked potato wedges – which pleasantly have some bite to them unlike those sometimes served up in restaurants – garlic flatbread, onion rings, nachos, spicy jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese and corn on the cob slathered in a delicious jalapeno, lime and coriander butter.

The huge plate was quickly cleared – always a good sign of appreciation.

When it came to the main attraction the quesadillas – tortillas stuffed with a range of fillings – proved a popular choice.

The veggie bean quesadilla (£6.95) came with bean chilli, spiced rice and a fresh side salad, while the cheese and bacon quesadilla (£7.95) was filled to bursting with crispy meat and chilli con queso.

The hefty portions were accompanied with a delicious fresh salad, much appreciated after the massive starter.

Sadly the rump steak (£13.95) wasn't such a success, being both gristly and a slightly off-putting grey colour – certainly not the nice rare pink which had been ordered.

It was apparently the last piece of steak in the kitchen, too, so we had to settle for an alternative dish of chilli con carne (£8.95) – although the mix of spicy beef and bean chilli, spiced rice and tortilla chips proved to be rather tasty.

The apologetic way the staff handled this minor blemish – which hopefully is nothing more than teething troubles for what is still a relatively new venture – was a good indicator of the overall level of service, although as we were the only party eating at the time they could afford to be attentive and friendly.

Other mains include the red hot pollo del fuego, a fiery guajillo-chilli marinated chicken breast (£11.95) and a range of fajitas served with chicken, king prawns, vegetables, steak or crispy duck (£11.95-£14.95).

Although we were far too full to contemplate them, the desserts on offer stray away from traditional Mexican cuisine, instead offering sticky toffee pudding, New York baked cheesecake, pannacotta and tiramisu (all £3.95), while La Salsa also serves up a variety of cocktails and margaritas for those wanting to make a night of it.

The bill for four people, including drinks, came to £80 – reasonable value for such as filling meal – and La Salsa could well become popular with students as there's 25 per cent off for four people when one diner has an NUS card.

ADDRESS

La Salsa, 179 Stafford Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1NA

Telephone: 01902 429070

Web: www.lasalsamex.co.uk