Of all the restaurant genres in Beijing, "Central and South American" must be one of the most direly represented. There's little beyond mediocre "Mexican" restaurants, some of which barely offer anything except burritos - not necessarily good ones.

There are some good restaurants among the higher-end, but they often feel more broadly "Western" than anything else - do they offer much that is distinctively Central or South American? I'm not an expert on these types of food, but seems to me the answer is no.

In a broadly undistinguished field, Luga's Villa is always a fun place to go for burritos, enchiladas and fajitas with a few pints. There's more choice than at some of the other Mexican restaurants, and portions are pretty generous, sided by rice, refried beans etc. It's not cheap as such, but better value than certain other Mexican restaurants.

On top of that, the staff are friendly, not least Luga himself, who greets every customer like a family member and is often around making sure things are working well, often while simultaneously hustling the pool table.

It's more a bar than a restaurant, but I'd rate Luga's Villa as the best Beijing has at the moment for "Mexican" eating. Go easy on those frozen margaritas - more than one and you'll need help getting home.