Chipotle in Europe

If you're an American living abroad, or perhaps someone that likes quick and decent Mexican food, you will delight in knowing Chipotle is making it's way over here!

My friend Caitlin tipped me off. Chipotle opened it's first branch outside of North America last week in London, and we were fortunate enough to visit on Sunday (see that double decker red bus in the window reflection?).

I asked the American guy, from Austin, who is helping with the openings, all kinds of questions...

This is what I know:

• 75% of the visitors in the past week are from the US... people still don't quite know what it is.
• Everything on the menu is roughly 7£.
• The food tastes as close as it could to the US Chipotle. The chips even have that lime salt.
• The soft tacos had a wheat looking tortilla. I'm not sure if that's also available in the US or some kind of Euro twist on things.
• The branding and signage was slightly different - a little less corrugated stainless steel and more of that rusty red color.
• The next one will open in Paris by Summer late Autumn 2011. They are currently scouting locations, but the 16th sounds promising.
• I put in the best word I could for Munich. You can always write them, too!

So if you live in Europe you can hop a relatively inexpensive flight to London and sample it yourself.

To get there go to the Tottenham Court Road station on the Central Line and walk up Charing Cross Road.

[september 2001 update]: Another London location is open at 101 Baker Street on the corner of York and Baker.

The Paris location is rumored to open early summer  late Autumn at 20 Boulevard Montmartre in the 9th arrondissement.

Also, be sure to check out Chipotle's newest venture into Asian cuisine: ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen.