Name: Seven Lives Tacos y Mariscos.
Chef: Sean Riehl.
Cuisine: Mexican.
Neighbourhood: Kensington Market.
Signature: Tacos.
Mains: $5–$9.
Open for: Lunch and dinner until 8 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday.
Assessment: Seven Lives opened up shop in the Latin American Food Court last weekend, filling the void that Agave y Aguacate left. Those are some big zapatos to fill, but San Diego native Sean Riehl has rather large feet. The menu, with a focus on Tijuana-style street food, changes daily but always includes a selection of tacos and at least one tostada. Seafood is the star here, with marlin, octopus, salmon, and albacore tuna all making appearances as the main protein and sometimes in the form of ceviche. The staff-recommended marlin is smoked in-house and served on a bed of melted cheese in a warm, soft corn tortilla. One is more than a snack. Tacos come generously filled, and if the kitchen isn’t hot enough for you, bowls of salsa roja and verde line the counter. In place of soda or water are aguas frescas. The milk-based horchata with a dusting of cinnamon is suprisingly refreshing. However, the food court is still undergoing construction and seating remains an issue—there isn’t any.
Assets:
• $7 for a substantial taco and a beverage.
• Friendly banter supplied by the guys at Pancho’s.
• Aguas frescas are indeed refresco.
Liabilities:
• Very big tacos + lack of seating = high mess potential.
Bottom Line: Unpretentious, delicious tacos.
214 Augusta Ave., 416-803-1086, sevenlives.ca.
—Rebecca Fleming
