City, Spanish Restaurant Guide

This smart and expansive Hispanic spread over two floors in the heart of the City, opposite the Bank of England, scores well for its “classic tapas” and meat dishes, accompanied by a heavyweight wine list.

“Reasonable enough tapas, with all the standard dishes” help make this long-running Hispanic trio into “decent” value and also quite “fun” options. The original and best-known branch is “tucked away incredibly close to King’s Cross station, which makes it very handy for a meet-up” (with Shoreditch and Monument also useful addresses).

“Delicious tapas with a view of the River Thames” from “a large open terrace” is going down a storm at the instantly popular, new Richmond branch of the well-known chain (occupying the prominent site that was formerly Jackson & Rye, RIP). Backed by the firm of wholesalers of the same name, the group has steadily grown from its Borough Market origins over the last 10 years, and fans feel “it’s exactly what you would expect from a place run by Spanish produce importers”. On the downside, though, there is a school of thought that “while the food’s done decently, it’s serviceable but unexciting”.

You find a “real taste of Spain” at this “small and friendly restaurant in Broadgate” from José Pizarro. Perhaps inevitably, the glossier surroundings here are a turn-off to those who know him via his revered Bermondsey original, for whom this “feels awfully like a franchise”, but even so, all reports rate the food as good or better.

“Very good-quality” tapas and a “nice, buzzy” atmosphere greet guests at this converted small backstreet pub near the South Bank, one of the longer-established Hispanic specialists in town. It’s a “favourite for a casual night out” and “conveniently located for the NT, Young Vic, Tate Mod and so on”.

“Reasonable enough tapas, with all the standard dishes” help make this long-running Hispanic trio into “decent” value and also quite “fun” options. The original and best-known branch is “tucked away incredibly close to King’s Cross station, which makes it very handy for a meet-up” (with Shoreditch and Monument also useful addresses).

For a “really enjoyable, reasonably authentic Tapas experience”, all served in a “buzzing” environment, many would recommend this national chain’s four London branches (in Victoria, Canary Wharf, Farringdon and Marylebone). “Uneven” service can make them “a bit hit ’n’ miss” (especially in SW1) but one constant is “a particularly strong list of Spanish wines, many by the glass or carafe”.

“No wonder it remains popular after all these years” – José Pizarro’s “tiny” Bermondsey bar “is always packed with a good vibe” thanks to its “short, perfectly executed tapas menu”. It didn’t score quite as highly this year, not because of harsh critiques, but just a sense that “while great and truly buzzing, it’s not the old standard it once was”.

Bibos in Madrid, Marbella, Cádiz and Doha have pre-dated this latest opening for celeb Andalusian chef Dani Garcia, within the newly opened Mondrian Shoreditch (on the site of Red Rooster, RIP). Perhaps because of the drubbings it’s received from press reviewers, not very many reporters visited. One or two that did found it “all-round exceptional”, but others were “fairly underwhelmed, first by the lengthy explanation of the tapas, and then by the pretty pedestrian-for-the-money food”.

“Top tapas in The Cut” – ‘London’s original tapas bar’ still cuts it after 35 years, providing sterling pre- and post-show service to theatregoers visiting the nearby Young and Old Vic. The “very friendly, helpful owner” ensures there’s a good atmosphere even when the joint is rammed.

“Sensational” cooking over an open fire in the corner of the room has won the highest culinary esteem (including from the Harden’s London Restaurant Awards) for Tomos Parry’s “unassuming” Shoreditch venue, which sits in a “functional and slightly industrial”, first-floor dining room above ‘Smoking Goat’. In particular, “the signature turbot is a must-try” (‘Brat’ is another name for turbot) and has become a checklist item for London foodie fashionistas. Its food rating slipped this year from the highest heights on a few reports of “great but slightly inconsistent” meals. For most of its many fans, though, a meal here is still “always wonderful”. Top Menu Tips – aside from the turbot: “still superb bread and anchovy…”, “soused mackerel in a piquant broth was divine…”, “smoked potatoes are my Death Row dish…”

“A brilliant venue with its own distinct offer in a street not short of a restaurant or two” – José Pizarro’s “buzzy”, larger sibling to his nearby tapas bar is “not the place if you want a quiet night” but “consistently good” for its “excellent, authentic Spanish food” (“with lots of sharing options”).

“Still going strong (after all these 25 years)… the only downside is that it can feel noisy when full” – that’s long been the classic view on Sam and Sam Clark’s “old favourite” on Exmouth Market, where an “interesting range of tasty”, “Spanish/Moorish-influenced dishes” are provided alongside an “oenological tour of Spain” from the extensive Iberian wine list (which has an “exciting selection of wines by the glass”). Its ratings have been drifting south, however, over a period of years, due to the minority who “really want to like it, but find the food lacking punch” nowadays. Top Tip – “on a weekday, at lunchtimes, Moro sets up a stall in the street outside the restaurant, and sells tagine with couscous to take away: some of the best street food in the UK!”

“The food is always a delight” at “the little brother of (and much cheaper than) Moro”, nearby in Exmouth Market, which serves “excellent authentic tapas dishes washed down with delicious Spanish wine” or a “half-bottle of sherry”. It’s a notably “well run joint”, with “staff who know their grub” and are “very welcoming without being fussy”. Top Tip – “arrive early to nab one of their two outdoor tables on the paved street and imagine yourself in Spain as you watch life going by”.

This former pub in Covent Garden (part of Urban Pubs & Bars) serves “dependable tapas-style” Spanish and Italian small plates in an atmosphere that “feels both private and buzzing”. Marks have dropped off in recent years, though, and those who remember it back in the day, when it really fizzed along, feel it’s “lost its game”.

“Sights and smells of Spain sitting at the counter” provide “heaven on a stool” at the Hart Bros’ faithful recreations of Barcelona’s Cal Pep: still, after 15 years, one of the most-mentioned groups in our survey. The “extraordinary tapas is full of fresh ideas” – there’s “always something new to try on the menu” (created by their chef/director Angel Zapata Martin) – and it “still deserves top marks, particularly the seafood” (which is the only option nowadays at the WC2 ‘Mariscos’ outlet). A meal is “not cheap” mind you (in fact, even fans can find prices “crazy”) but the overall verdict? “Worth the queue, and the bill!” (In July 2022, they added a new, fifth branch to the group, in SE1’s Borough Yards developments).

“Sights and smells of Spain sitting at the counter” provide “heaven on a stool” at the Hart Bros’ faithful recreations of Barcelona’s Cal Pep: still, after 15 years, one of the most-mentioned groups in our survey. The “extraordinary tapas is full of fresh ideas” – there’s “always something new to try on the menu” (created by their chef/director Angel Zapata Martin) – and it “still deserves top marks, particularly the seafood” (which is the only option nowadays at the WC2 ‘Mariscos’ outlet). A meal is “not cheap” mind you (in fact, even fans can find prices “crazy”) but the overall verdict? “Worth the queue, and the bill!” (In July 2022, they added a new, fifth branch to the group, in SE1’s Borough Yards developments).