Review: Las Iguanas
By Adam Fearn
Latin American tastes and culture have undergone a recent surge in popularity after the 2014 world cup in Rio. Everybody is searching for ways of experiencing the Brazilian flare and atmosphere. Manchester’s answer to this is Las Iguanas, a chain of unassuming restaurants that hold many hidden delights. Upon entering the Deansgate bar, we were greeted by a number of friendly waitresses who were quick to take our drink orders. The staff members were extremely knowledgeable about the cocktails that featured on their drinks menu, and were quick to help us to choose beverages that would best complement our proposed food choices.
Like the drink selection, the food on offer was varied, featuring both large meals and smaller tapas dishes. When I visited, my friend and I decided to opt to sample the extensive tapas range; we ordered a number of small appetizer dishes, such as squid, nachos, prawns, and quesadillas. All of the food that we tried was tasty and the portions were large for their prices.
The cocktails were tasty and interesting. The bar had all of the usual cocktails whilst also featuring lesser known mixes. Like with many other Deansgate bars and restaurants, Las Iguanas offers happy hours between 5-7pm; the offer here is buy one get one free Unfortunately, Las Iguanas does not let guests try two different cocktails like its competitors do. The cocktails were, however, fantastic, and were just as alcoholic as the original £6-7 versions. We strongly recommend sampling the restaurant’s caipirinhas, one of the stronger cocktails, that features cachaça, a distilled spirit made of sugarcane juice.
Although Las Iguanas isn’t the cheapest chain restaurant to visit, there are often offers and deals available to students, such as a 20% discount through the Student Beans app, making the venue a viable, affordable option for students. With two of the restaurants available in Manchester, – one on Deansgate, and the other in The Trafford Centre- Las Iguanas is worth a visit for post-lecture drinks and nibbles.
Las Iguanas,
84 Deansgate
Manchester
M3 2ER
0161 819 2606