I love Mexican food, it's one of my favourite cuisines and after being introduced to the amazing Zapatista earlier in the year I couldn't really refuse the invitation to go along and try some of their new After Five menu which extends on the whole Mexican cuisine, no longer are they just serving burritos but a whole Mexican fiesta of a menu.

If you're a cocktail fan, Zapatista or Zaps as the locals tend to call it, have just the thing for you, an amazing assortment of alcoholic and lets just say tequila based wonders, sadly I'm currently completely intolerant to all alcohol (yes, sob, weep, it's bad) so I had to settle for one of their non-alcoholic Jarritos, delicious and totally Mexican, try the Guava flavour, it's very moreish! 

The new after 5 menu isn't just for evenings when you fancy doing something different after work, it's also available all day at weekends so perfect for brunch on a Saturday, early evening drinks with food or maybe even a pre-theatre burrito.

What I particularly loved about the menu were the tacos and the taquitos, I can't describe them as anything other than a Mexican taste sensation but add just a little tequila cocktail and you could quite easily believe you're in a cantina in Guadalajara rather than a Burrito Bar on Grainger Street in Newcastle 

My favourite of all of the Mexican morsels that were served were the best Jalapeno Poppers I've ever tasted, just the right strength of cheese combined with the perfect type of heat from the Jalapeno, I'd be quite happy to eat a portion of those every day of the week.

I think Zapatista's menu extension looks very promising, one thing we seem to lack in Newcastle is great Mexican food and I adore Mexican food, for the dessert lovers amongst us you needn't worry either, I tried both the grilled pineapple and the Key Lime pie and both were mouthwateringly delicious, so much so I could also see me going for an evening burrito, coffee and a slice of that delicious lime pie!

I'm going to make a suggestion, you know when it gets to the 27th of December and you need a break from Turkey and Christmas TV and you're kind of feeling like a hostage in your own home due to those charming family members slightly overstaying their welcome, well why not escape on a secret mission, tell them you're just popping out, go order yourself a Taquito and a Tequila and you'll soon get your Va Va Voom back and lets face it, we all need a little Mexican Va Va Voom at Christmas!

The Zapatisa After Five Menu is now available at the Grainger Street Branch, I was asked to go along and to write this article, these are my opinions, my photos and yes, I did feel quite full after the plethora of foodie treats!

Burrito Bars in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Zapatista

Until yesterday I have to admit that I'd never ever tried a burrito and I'd never been to Zapatista, yes I'm sorry but I don't usually like food which touches other food, although I'm a long time fan of Mexican food and I openly admit to loving a good steak fajita so when Zapatista got in touch to see if I wanted to sample some of their Mexican delights and perhaps, just perhaps, a burrito I had to accept.

There are 2 branches of Zapatista in Newcastle upon Tyne, one on Grainger Street, and one on Ridley Place, yesterday I tried the Grainger Street branch, I'd not eaten all day so I was ready and with a big appetite.

I'm going to openly admit that burritos are not what you would call Instagram worthy food, there are just too many things all wrapped up in a tortilla and then all wrapped up in foil so I shan't be sharing a ton of food photos but believe me when I say I am now a convert to burritos and even eating things wrapped in foil (something which previously set my teeth on edge).

Zapatista is essentially Mexican fast food, you are served just as quickly as you are in other fast food outlets but the difference is that the food is delicious and it's all made fresh, right there in front of you.  There are a myriad of choices which quite frankly blew my mind but in the end I went for a butternut squash with halloumi filling, mild pinto beans, a special sweetcorn salsa, lime and coriander rice, cheese and sour cream, that's all then rolled up in a tortilla (although the healthy amongst you may want to have the filling in a salad bowl, that's a naked burrito or fajita) and finally wrapped in foil so that it's not too messy.

Zapatista do serve alcohol but I'm on a self imposed alcohol ban other than on holidays and special occasions so I just went with a large diet coke.  Zaps (as the locals call it) have also started doing Churros at the Grainger street branch, now they take 7-10 minutes and come with either a chocolate or caramel sauce, let me prepare you in advance and say "get the caramel" I love salted caramel and it goes perfectly with that crispy on the outside soft in the middle Churros, something I wouldn't usually have due to the calories involved in sweet fried dough but I made an exception for review purposes!

I think Zapatista is probably the perfect place to have a first date if you've just met someone through Tinder or Plenty of Fish, it's fast enough so that if it's a disaster you can get out quickly, they serve alcohol just in case you're nervous, it's cheap (so you don't have to spend a fortune on a potential date that may not go your way) and if you do have a fab time you're in town and can always continue the evening, plus it'll give you lots of opportunities to go and try all the various plentiful fillings and flavours.

I loved my first trip to Zapatista, I'm not sure if I'll be mixing all of my food together and I definitely won't be eating other things wrapped in foil and popped in a plastic basket (The Churros came on proper platters) but I really enjoyed my first burrito bar experience and will definitely be back in the future, maybe with my own internet dating story!