Tag Archives: tapas

Iberica, Marylebone

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The culture and authenticity of tapas is difficult to recreate outside Spain, but Iberica in Marylebone is as close as it gets. Friendly waiters, relaxed ambience and enthusiastic eating all make for a lovely dining experience.

There is a buzzy atmosphere instantly you walk into this spacious restaurant. Staff zoom past carrying plates of appetising food, sweet smells waft tantalisingly… suddenly I was starving.
Plump stuffed olives arrived instantly to accompany our cocktails. Iberica have recently starting serving a selection of classic cocktails, we tried mojitos which were ice cold and very refreshing, the mint cleansing our palates before the epic feast.

When I was a child my favourite meal was ‘assiette de papa’ a selection of bits and bobs from the fridge prepared by my dad. Usually this would consist of salami and cheese and other deli like products, ever since I’ve been a big fan… and no country does salami and cheese as well as Spain. The Artisan Iberico ham counter has pride of place centrally in the Iberica restaurant. Here a proud carver creates gorgeous displays of cold meats for guests. I was thrilled with our selection which was carefully explained to us on presentation. Divine thin slivers of melt in the mouth Iberico pork had a rich and salty flavour. The Manchego cheese was delicious too, very creamy and perfectly paired with the meat.

The tapas is split into four comprehensive sections: From the Sea, From the Land, Vegetables, Eggs & Croquettes. We ordered a variety, predominantly chosen by my little sister, who knew exactly what she wanted almost immediately after glancing at the menu so I didn’t get much say in the matter, but I was glad I insisted on Grilled Iberico pork loin, as this rich marinated meat is one of my favourites. Other must-try dishes include mini Iberica burgers with secreto pork loin & Piparras peppers – adorable and yummy in equal measure. The Ham and cheese croquettes are heavenly balls of gooey creaminess, especially nice with the green salad. We both adored the inventive Tempura of spring onion with lemon aioli & soy sauce: wonderfully light batons, very fresh and tasty. The Potatoes with spicy brava was the best I have had… cubes of soft and crispy potato covered generously with bright orange spicy sauce.

The food was all top notch, my only criticism was there was a little too much wait between the individual tapas plates arriving… all the greenery came first, then potatoes, and finally when the meat arrived a while later, all the rest of the food had either been removed from the table or was cold. It was a shame because the dishes were all delicious separately but would have been even more satisfying mixed and matched and eaten together.

The desserts at Iberica are light and summery, which I really appreciated after over-ordering on the tapas front. ‘La Tarta de la Abuela’ has been interpreted personally by Iberica who have created an irresistibly good chocolatey mousse with a vanilla cream topping and crumbs of buttery biscuit… a sensational combination. I tried the interesting sounding Strawberry soup with yoghurt and chocolate… this arrived immaculately arranged in a glass, thick fruit soup topped with a yoghurt flavoured foam and several thin chocolate rods. It was good but not as good as my sister’s chocolate La Tarta.

The mere fact that I noticed lots of Spanish diners in Iberica proves this eatery’s authenticity and merit. If you can’t get to Marylebone try the Canary Wharf branch.

More information on Iberica here: http://www.ibericalondon.co.uk/ibericalondon/

Salt Yard, Goodge Street

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I have been desperate to try Salt Yard for a while now, the first of three related tapas & charcuterie restaurants to appear on the London scene. This petite Spanish eatery is found on Goodge Street among many other bustling restaurants and bars, a trendy place to hang out and eat especially at the weekends. I went along one Saturday early in the evening with my dad, we had both prepared appropriately by starving ourselves prior. I was surprised to see the place was already almost full, foodie couples chatting over Malbec and Manchego.

The menu and style is similar to Opera Tavern (its sister restaurant), which after I tried it eighteen months ago quickly became my favourite food outlet in London… needless to say I have now visited at least ten times! The ambience is different at Salt Yard, slightly noisier and trendier with less of an intimate feel. We found the pop music playing distracted us a bit from the authentic and inspiring food, perhaps some flamenco would suit the mood and cuisine better.

I always find I get horrific food envy in tapas bars, it is so easy to order ‘just one more’ plate after spying a treat on a nearby table. And so a light Mediterrean meal becomes a heavy multi-course feast. To accompany our glasses of fine sparkling prosecco we ordered a selection of plates to graze on… though it is difficult to graze in Salt Yard, the food tastes so good it is hard to restrain from gobbling it all instantly. Chargrilled Country Style Bread arrived with creamy homemade Aioli along with Padron Peppers, Wild Boar Salami and Three Manchegos from La Mancha. The cheese was delicious, three slices all matured to different ages. Padron Peppers were simply grilled and salted, pleasant with a mouthful of cheese and bread but a little bitter to taste alone. The Wild Boar salami was the star of the show, soft thinly sliced meat with a distinctive rich flavour, moreish and delectable, I will definitely be looking out for this in the shops from now on.

Chargrilled Octopus with Warm Potatoes, Peas, English Asparagus and Mint looked and tasted fresh and vibrant… the kind of dish that transports you to a seaside café with the smell of sea salt in the air. Confit of Old Spot Pork Belly with Rosemary Scented Cannellini Beans is one of the most popular dishes at Salt Yard. Served modestly in a rustic dish, sitting on a bed of soft mild cannellini beans, it was surprisingly lean for pork belly, with a lovely light herby flavour.

Now the dishes were arriving thick and fast, exquisite recipes with thoughtful combinations and high quality ingredients. Of the meat dishes Roast Rump and Seven Hour Shoulder of Lamb, Crushed Pea and Mint Vinaigrette was my clear favourite. A delicious melange compiled elegantly with seasonal peas and mint – the taste was exciting and satisfying, with two cuts of the lamb offering alternative textures and the vegetables perfecting the dish. I found Chargrilled Iberico Presa with Whipped Jamon Iberico Butter a little too rare for my liking, however there is no denying that this variety of pork is really very exceptional. The unique flavour is unbeatable and the meat melts in the mouth.

Truffled Macaroni Cheese shouldn’t work but does… recommended as a ‘must try’ by our waitress, we succumbed to the rich and gooey dish. It was excellent, creamy and comforting with a subtle hint of truffle oil, a lovely accompaniment with the meat dishes. Courgette Flowers stuffed with goat’s cheese and drizzled with honey are really excellent, a successful combination of flavours and textures, the flowers covered lightly in batter and the sweet honey complementing beautifully. Even though pricey (£7.95 for two small stuffed flowers), I would say this is an essential addition to your meal.

Puddings were a real highlight, and despite feeling full we managed to try two simple but spectacular desserts. I was tempted by the homemade Churros with chocolate sauce, doughnut dunking batons that reminded me of summers in southern France. Instead we chose the more sophisticated Hot Chocolate Fondant, Marmalade Ice cream, Almond Florentine and the English strawberries with Mascarpone Panna Cotta with White Chocolate Crumb. I can’t fault these two recipes,  executed and arranged to exemplary standards. The fondant was light and indulgent, the marmalade ice cream was innovative melting into chocolatey cave, the additional extra thin Florentine added a little crunch to the dessert. The Panna Cotta was exceptional, a creamy texture without the usual gelatiney texture, it was light and fresh with segmented sugary strawberries and a luxurious hint of white chocolate.

I have no doubts that the Salt Yard group of restaurants provide the best tapas in London: traditional but trendy, simple but stunning.

Visit the Salt Yard website here.

Barrafina, Soho

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Don’t bother visiting Barrafina if you are not willing to wait for your supper. After almost two hours of queueing, I began obsessing and almost hallucinating about my imminent meal. The already seated diners, doing what I can only describe as cold hearted gloating, sat laughing and wiping neon chorizo juice from their mouths. Red with fury, fellow foodies offered me condolences (over twitter)… and advised me that the food ahead was worth the waiting agony. We sipped on our glasses of Macabeo 2010 El Muro as patiently as humanly possible.

Here I was thinking tapas was a quick light supper, apparently not as most customers seemed to spend hours deciding their order, dissecting prawns, sipping red wine and chatting endlessly as if they had all the time in the world… behind them the poor queuers groaned and drooled from utter starvation. As it had been another manic Tuesday blogging and I’d only had time for a measly croissant all day, I was planning on feasting when we did finally get to our table.

Seated in one corner of the tiny Soho restaurant we could survey the whole place, eyeing up our neighbours’ food so we could decide on the ultimate selection of tasty tapas. So here is what we chose:

Toast with Al-i-oli 3.1
I was so blind hungry when our this first plate arrived I can’t actually remember what this tasted like. We demolished it so it MUST have been good.
Chorizo Iberico 5.9
A rip-off frankly, for nearly six pounds we got about 12 tiny thin slices of chorizo. Not good enough.

Chicken Thigh with Romesco sauce 7.5
I love Romesco sauce, though Barrafina’s wasn’t quite as good as the recipe I’d experienced at Jose Pizarro’s restaurant. The meat was tender and well seasoned. A lovely dish.
Grilled Quail with Al-i-oli 6.9
Mean portion, but what there was was exceptionally good. Deliciously delicate meat with a crispy skin with yellow whipped Al-i-oli for dipping.

Chorizo, Potato and Watercress 6.9
We had already seen (and coveted) this dish from afar… intensely flavoured sizzling chorizo with fried new potatoes and fresh watercress. Gobbled and gone within seconds.

Green Salad 3.5
Best side salad I’ve ever had – deliciously garlicky dressing and fresh crunchy leaves. We had to order a second bowl as I became addicted to the vinegary dressing.
Chips with Brava Sauce 3.9
Divine: thin, crispy, salty and tossed with rosemary. Utterly yummy scrummy. Try dipping in Al-i-oli sauce, a more luxurious kind of mayo.

Crema Catalana 4
A kind of crème caramel / brulee… creamy light toffee tinted dessert with a hard sugary layer on top. It was a good dessert to share after a big supper and was served exactly as it should be… warm on top but chilled beneath.

The meal was, admittedly wonderful… Barrafina have got the stylish Spanish cuisine just right. A new branch is arriving in Covent Garden soon, which may ease the congestion at Soho, but until then try visiting at an unpopular time; otherwise you will have to wait a very, very long time for your food.

Visit the Barrafina website here.