Tag Archives: tapas

Fat of the Land, Marylebone

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Fat of the Land is a new Mediterranean pub and dining room in Marylebone. The restaurant specialises in Catalonian food and is the sister venue to The Queen’s Head & Artichoke in Regent’s Park and The Norfolk Arms in Bloomsbury. We were taken upstairs to the more formal seating area and treated to a bottle of fine Cava… light and very bubbly – this is how I believe every Spanish meal should begin!

It is a pleasant room, contemporary and minimal in its design with cool freestanding black lamps blasting a spotlight on each table. Our waiter was eager to please and served us with the utmost care and attention all evening even when the restaurant became busy.

It was easy to choose from the starter selection: bread, cheese, and cured meat is a must. We ordered Pa amb tomaquet which is a refreshingly different take on bread and dip, served more like a bruschetta with garlicky tomato sauce, bad for the breath but good for the soul. Our appetite slowly withered as we gorged on the thickly sliced Chorizo and Salchichon and the very moreish trio of flavoured Manchegos (chilli was our favourite). It was all divine and I felt like I could have quite happily eaten this all evening.

The meal gathered momentum as the mains started arriving. Crispy squid was a hit with my guest while I preferred the Roast chicken with its fragrant pimento spiciness; the meat was tender and soft with a crispy skin. Grilled organic rib-eye steak served with artichokes and rustic chips was the special for the day and came with positive recommendations. We enjoyed the assortment of ingredients though the meat was a little tough. Calcots and Baby carrot tempura with romesco sauce was rather greasy and the sauce was served cold, which was an unexpected shock.

We didn’t take our waiter’s dessert advice which was a mistake as our Crema Catalana was a bit of a disappointment, supposedly a Spanish version of Crème Brulee, it tasted more like a sweet omelette.

The mood is convivial and jolly as guests sit round the wooden tables chatting and enjoying their meals. Fat of the Land serves up comforting plates of food, and I’m sure the tables will be filling fast with hungry diners now winter is coming.

More information here.

 http://thefatoftheland.co.uk/

Boqueria, Brixton

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Boqueria very recently won TimeOut’s award for ‘Best Cheap Eat’ and after a lovely evening spent at this Brixton restaurant, I can vouch for it being a deserving winner. It is inspired by Barcelona’s famous fresh food market ‘El Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria’ – the name has been simplified to just Boqueria. This iconic market displays and sells an incredible array of fruit, vegetables and seafood and this eatery hopes to evoke its very vibrant flavours and atmosphere within a contemporary and comfortable setting.

The restaurant offers a range of traditional and contemporary dishes and this is how the menu is divided. Aside from the usual cheese and meat selection (which incidentally Boqueria does extremely well), we found we were more drawn to the modern recipes. After a delicious glass of sparkling we were treated to a bottle of wine. I left our waiter to choose trusting his judgement of Spanish food and wine pairing better than my own. The drinks menu is very reasonable and we found that despite its low price our white had a lovely full bodied flavour and pleasant aftertaste.

Salted padron peppers were brought to us without instruction, a little bitter but delicious when eaten with the bread and alioli. Chorizo cooked in cider was dangerously indulgent, to be eaten in moderation. Aubergine cannelloni with goat cheese and mushrooms was a surprising delight, brilliantly matched flavours and sloppy but yummy, and the fried squid with lemon mayonnaise was fresh and not too greasy, a definite achievement for breadcrumbed seafood!

There is lots of tempting meat on offer, we chose the two pork options: slices of Iberian pork shoulder with sweet potato puree was a little heavy and chewy for me but had a lovely flavour. Suckling pig with parsnip and potato crisps was insanely good and very tender but at the cost of numerous calories!

After his meticulous attentive service at the start of the meal when it was time for desserts, we found our waiter was nowhere to be seen, nor did anyone else offer us anything sweet. Feeling full and not bothered much anyway we left content after a very tasty and satisfying Spanish feast.

A short walk from Brixton tube station, don’t let the location put you off, this is a restaurant worth a visit even if you don’t live near the Victoria line and is a lovely foodie addition to the eateries of Brixton Village.

More information here.

http://www.boqueriatapas.com/

Dehesa, Soho

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Dehesa is the third member of the Salt Yard team, a group of restaurants I believe to be among the very best in London. Each offering a similar menu of Italian inspired tapas, it is a treat for all the senses to visit one of these eateries.

The chatter and laughter is audible from the street, just like its sister restaurants, Dehesa is conducive to fun and enjoyment, you cannot help but have a good time. We waited a while before being seated, choosing to wander along Carnaby Street to work up an appetite while our table was prepared.

Squeezing in at the corner of the bar, we glanced at the menu, knowing almost immediately what we desired. A glass of the house wine each, red for my friend, white for me and a selection of charcuterie, cheese, bread, salad and patatas bravas… perhaps the perfect meal?

One thing you must know about the Salt Yard group… their wine list is supreme, even the cheapest house wine (£4 a glass) is really very good and the Prosecco on offer is always delicious.

Everything was divine, no surprises there. Toasted bread and aioli is a simple but heavenly combination, ideal for an initial snack; then slivers of chilli and marjoram salami, only served at the Dehesa outlet – it is very worth trying… intensely flavoured and totally addictive, I guarantee it will disappear from the table within seconds. Manchego cheese is yummy as ever, three ages are presented with fruity membrillo and crunchy slices of bread.

Warm Salad of Baby Artichokes, Cime Di Rappa, Goats Curd and Spicy Almonds was a lovely and intriguing combination, providing a little greenery to accompany the meat and cheese. For a bit of naughtiness the fat potato chips are perfect, covered in red spiciness and served with a pot of dipping aioli, we found we were so greedy we needed to order two extra portions of aioli for dunking.

Unfussy, bold food that is utterly scrumptious: for £20 a head you will enjoy a feast of tapas and wine. I would eat in the Salt Yard restaurants every night if I could.

Visit the website here for more information.