A Salisbury restaurant has been placed at #4 in the UK on TripAdvisor’s list of Hidden Gems.

Mexican restaurant Tinga opened in 2018 after the closure of the Danny’s Bar and Kitchen and has gained a perfect TripAdvisor score of 5.0 after 1,088 reviews, representing the site’s top-rated restaurant in Salisbury.

Nine-hundred-and-fifty-three people have rated the establishment as “Excellent” and 71 reviews ranked it as “Very Good.” The lowest rating on TripAdvisor—“Terrible”—represents just 10 of the reviewers.

The restaurant serves dishes rarely found elsewhere in Salisbury, including empanadas, quesadillas, tacos, large burritos, churros and guacamole topped with grasshoppers. On its staff uniforms, the restaurant features alebrijes, traditional Mexican folk art that feature bright, multicoloured depictions of mythical creatures.

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Dave Hancock and his wife, Aimee Ullah, decided to open Tinga in 2018 to bring something unique to Salisbury, recognising a void in the market for Mexican cuisine. Much of the artwork seen on the restaurant’s walls was purchased from street vendors in Mexico City, where Dave and Aimee travelled that year to learn about Mexican food.

Dave said during their trip they ate in more than 50 different establishments, including “street food cantinas, roadside vans and shacks and all sorts.”

Dave added that the recognition of the restaurant was “lovely for the team” and a “reward for their hard work.”

Dave said: “None of our businesses have had this level of national recognition before. I think for Salisbury, as well, we do hear a lot of Salisbury doesn’t have this or Salisbury doesn’t have that. Actually it’s really nice to be having our little restaurant alongside venues in London, up north and all over.”