Los Locos translates as The Crazies and you'd be hard pressed to find a more appropriate name as the table-dancing and hook-ups en masse lend this centre-of-town Mexican an air of the absurd and an atmosphere that means every night is party time.

The Venue
Moments off Covent Garden’s market square, behind the Opera House, stands a simple sandwich board. Without much on-street visibility, this beacon and a simple laminated menu are all that indicate the Los Locos basement bar. With so much competition in overflowing Covent Garden, it’s a surprise that Los Locos doesn’t shout about its presence but, apparently, there’s no need. Inside, a grid of fold-away plastic tables are lined up to accommodate everyone, and there’s more space than the narrow steps down to the basement bar suggest.

Cactus pictures painted across the walls, paper let’s-get-messy tablecloths, and some requisite wipe-down bar surfaces for tequila sessions suggest this is your typical Tex Mex. Yet, as the dining tables are swept away and the tunes cranked up, the club atmosphere is alarmingly unrecognisable from the family friendly restaurant room it starts as. Dark and bright at the same time, the reflective bar surfaces catch disco lights, but there are more intimate corners if you don’t want to get swept up in the heat of the action.

The Atmosphere
Proving Covent Garden doesn’t have to mean over-priced tourist trap comes easy at Los Locos. Reiterated from the stand outside through to the very end of the night are the great deals offered on drinks and party packages. An inexpensive, anything-goes attitude helps groups get going early on, and pacing yourself is nigh on impossible with an extremely liberal happy hour taking place over 180 minutes on an average day, and for the whole evening on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Indeed, if you do turn up later on, expect to have some catching up to do. Despite the 3am closing time, don’t be fooled that this is just a late night place.

The Music
Musically, Los Locos can be described as hen party anthems, with commercial RnB, dance and pop – essentially whatever’s on the radio at the time. And, as they’re happy to get in birthday, stag and hen nights, the crowd-pleasing selection goes down particularly well, with the accommodating staff helping to keep things in party mode.

The Food
Bargains are to be had on the food side, too, as the something-of-everything sharing platters are ludicrously cheap. Two can gorge on a generous plate of chicken wings, potato skins, spring rolls, tortilla chips and dips for £9.50. This can bulk up for four at £17.50. With each item having a choice of flavours, you can be bold and try the hot wings, which should perhaps be renamed the blow-your-head-off wings. Or you can elect for something more toned down like brie and chilli jam potato skins (£6.95), which have a warm and gummy jam at the perfect consistency.

Mexican is a term used to loosely describe a range of dining these days but it’s particularly prevalent in menus dishing up a frenzy of cheese, meat and beans. Bringing in European and Asian cuisines to traditional Tex Mex, Los Locos uses spicy flavours in familiar food favourites, turning then into slightly contrived dishes like the Cajun chicken pasta or Texan fish and chips (£12.95).

Fajita fans might opt for something a little more adventurous. All the trimmings are there, including much-hailed guacamole and some commendably spiced, aromatic Mexican rice, yet the main plate is more fizzle than sizzle. Heavy on the onion and with shrivelled prawns, £14.95 can go a great deal further. A gutsy gut might try squeezing in a Texan Platter, a real stomach liner for £9.95, which incorporates ribs coated in smoky sauce and chilli, along with corn and fries.

The Drink
The deals don’t stop there and Los Locos is keen to promote its jugs of brightly coloured cocktails. A two pint pitcher is reduced from £16 to under a tenner during happy hour. The list is expectedly heavy on the Jose Cuervo, with a drinkable juicy Margarita a house speciality. If tequila isn’t your bag, but you want to keep the night exotic, pineapple and passion fruit are plentiful in the sugary Dominikana, Mai Tai and RB Breeze (all £6 a glass).

Bottles and beers are distinctly the opposite, with little exoticism at all. The standard assortment includes Sol, Stella, Carlsberg, Budweiser and Carling (£3.75).

While a delicate wine isn’t necessarily the greatest complement to the hefty cuisine, choosing a sharp, crisp Pinot Grigio or a mellow blush is possible. The Remy Pannier Sauvignon Blanc (£16 a bottle) is okay, but make sure to ask for it ice cold, as its grassy notes are a little too fragrant for the food.

The Last Word
With their jugs of cocktails and a crowd-pleasing menu, this is the sort of place where everyone’s welcome. Los Locos is all about getting a gang together and letting loose. Although pretending it’s party time every night of the week is enough to drive anyone loco.

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