The dark ceiling, bottle green tiles, moody lighting, close packed tables and wine bottles at Anna Cabrera and Vanessa Murphy's atmospheric wine bar suggest an authentic Spanish experience straight away, and on a warm day, when the front slides open to connect the interior with the terrace tables out front you really could be dining anywhere in sunny Spain.
Happily the menu, with over 50 authentic tapas dishes, meets expectations, delivering flavour-packed favourites in all their rustic simplicity. From arroz negro to excellent patatas bravas; juicy olives to crisp Andalucian calamari with alioli; and juicy gambas – prawns – with garlic, chilli and olive oil everything is tasty and authentically presented in traditional terracotta dishes.
Meat is well represented too, with regional offerings like pig cheeks to delightful chorizo frito y morcilla – fried chorizo with black pudding and more familiar choices.
The sangria is especially tasty and 12 of the 23 Spanish wines come by the glass; there is a nice beer list too, including a gluten-free option.
Churros are a popular way to round off a meal here but if the doughnut and chocolate combination doesn’t appeal you’ll find much pleasure in the house crema Catalana.
Staff are warm and impressively au fait with the nuances of the menu - and this authentic Spanish experience is good value too.
