34 King Street,
Covent Garden,
London,
WC2E 8JD
(020) 7240 4008
The ViewLondon Review
A noisy, vibrant establishment inspired by the Southwestern US with tasty food and gorgeous cocktails.
The Venue
Navajo Joe is conveniently located in the heart of Covent Garden in a spacious converted warehouse, set over three floors. The bar downstairs is open from Wednesday to Saturday and has DJs spinning club tunes. It can be hired for private parties. The tables upstairs look down upon the ground floor area which is dominated by the long bar and its impressive display of any bottles of alcohol imaginable. There are also wooden tables here for eating but the venue clearly caters to a younger, clubby crowd and so the music is very loud.
If you are here mainly to eat, make sure you book a table upstairs as downstairs it is impossible to have a conversation. There is also more light upstairs. Reflecting its name, the decor has a Southwestern theme, with brick and wood walls, metal animal skulls hanging on the walls and range of tequila bottles on the shelves – Navajo Joe claims to have the largest selection of Tequilas outside of Mexico.
The Atmosphere
The young party crowd downing margaritas dominates Navajo Joe, which makes for a lively but noisy atmosphere. However, it’s quieter upstairs and with the all the intriguing drinks on offer and the happy vibe it’s easy to get into the spirit. The service is good, the staff very friendly and accommodating.
The Food
The food stays true to the restaurant’s theme, but with international flavours as well. The menu offers starters such as chicken wings (£5.95), nachos (from £8.25) and quesadillas (£6.45). There’s a special sampling menu where, for £10, you can order mini versions of three dishes, such as four cheese nachos, crunchy catfish goujons and seared fillet of steak teriyaki. These all arrive well cooked, in particularly the very tender beef, but the menu certainly isn’t lying when it says small bites. The portions are so tiny it would be better to order one on your own.
Main courses range from tequila lime chicken (£11.95), rib-eye steak (£18.95), blackened duck (£13.95) and, of course, fajitas (from £14.95). There is a combo fajita platter for two to share available for £28.95, which includes tortillas and all the condiments, plus chicken breast, tiger prawns and tequila lime steak. Oven baked salmon with spinach, new potatoes and basil aioli is recommended, served in a decent sized portion with beautifully cooked salmon. Desserts include tiramisu, pana cotta, spiced ginger carrot cake, chocolate brownies and ice cream, all for £4.95.
The Drink
Cocktails! Navajo Joe has a good cocktail list, from all the classics up to the more attention grabbing drinks such as El Pornstar and Rumdog Millionaire. Cocktails start at £6.75. The fluorescent green and chocolate-y After Eight cocktail, is highly recommended, a lush dessert in itself. Wine (from £14.95), bottled beer (from £3.65 for a Kronenbourg) and soft drinks are also available.
The Last Word
It may not be the best place for a quiet dinner for two but if you’re looking for good food, a happy, buzzing crowd and a long list of cocktails, you can’t go wrong with Navajo Joe.
Navajo Joe has been reviewed by 16 users