London’s Best Tapas Restaurants
Whether you’re sipping wine on a warm evening in Bilbao, sangria in Seville, or still going strong at 10:30pm in Barcelona, there’s few food experiences as purely pleasurable as Tapas. Traditionally in Spain, as long as you pay for the wine, the food just keeps on coming. While we’re yet to find a spot in London that does the same – if you know of one, please let us know immediately – there are some spots so good you’ll almost trick yourself into thinking you’re on the Iberian coast.
From Michelin-starred Soho spots to neighbourhood favourites, here are the best restaurants in London for Tapas.
Barrafina
Barrafina does dining a little differently. Home to five locations spread across the city, the restaurant boasts an intimate number of red leather stools and a marble-topped bar, allowing guests to peek into kitchen life and watch the chefs at work. The Dean Street spot even has a Michelin star for good measure.
The restaurant specialises in modern Spanish tapas, filled with favourites including prawn and piquillo pepper tortilla; cured monkfish; chicken thigh with romesco; and patatas bravísimas.
where: Various Locations
website: www.barrafina.co.uk
Sabor
Translating to ‘flavour’ in Spanish, Sabor is a family-run restaurant inspired by the tapas bars of Andalucía, the seafood restaurants of Galicia and the asadors of Castile.
The restaurant is split into three distinct sections. For Tapas, head to the ground floor where you’ll find The Counter serving up a daily changing menu of fresh fish. Freshly prepared by the in-house fishmonger, the space operates on a walk-in basis only, so head down early to get your table.
where: 35-37 Heddon Street, W1B 4BR
website: www.saborrestaurants.co.uk
Tapas Brindisa
Whether you’re after riverside views in Richmond or an easy lunch in central, Tapas Brindisa is always a good idea. Serving traditional tapas, the restaurant group sources the finest ingredients from across Spain and its islands, which they also sell in their food shop.
Share with the table and order the Brindisa charcuterie or seafood platter, as well as the chorizo de León – chargrilled León chorizo on toast with piquillo and rocket; Merluza con pisto – hake with ‘pisyo’ slow roasted Mediterranean veg and summer girolles; patatas bravas; and esqueixada – salt cod salad with tomatoes, olives, red peppers and Tolosana black beans.
Serving traditional tapas, the restaurant group sources the finest ingredients from across Spain
where: Various Locations
website: www.brindisakitchens.com
José
Part of the José Pizarro Bermondsey dynasty that now stretches to three restaurants on one street, José was the original and is a classic tapas bar. A stalwart on the main street since 2011, it has a no-booking policy and a buzzy atmosphere. It serves a daily changing menu written on the blackboards along with 50 Spanish wines and sherries served by the glass. Think croquetas de jamón Iberico; pan con tomate – toasted bread with garlic, Catalan tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil; Pulpo a la plancha con crema de patata y pimentón – grilled octopus with creamy potato, egg white caviar and paprika; and chorizo al vino – slow-cooked chorizo in red wine with quince.
where: 104 Bermondsey St, London SE1 3UB
website: www.josepizarro.co.uk
Parrillan
Home to two restaurants in Coal Drops Yard and Borough Yards, Parrillan is named after the Spanish word ‘Parilla’, meaning grill. As you could have guessed, the restaurant specialises in grilled and wood-fired cooking.
At Parrillan Borough Yards, you can let the experts serve up a show for you, with menu highlights including oxtail and kale from the wood fire oven, mussels and grilled squid from the grill, and indulgent lemon meringue pie with lemon sorbet.
where: Borough Yards & Coal Drops Yard
website: www.parrillan.co.uk
Tasca
Set under the arches in Bethnal Green, this is the cool East London spot you’ll want to get a table at before everyone knows about it. Really, it’s two spots – Tasca is the year-long restaurant residency by Head Chef Josh Dallaway and Sommelier Sinead Murdoch, and Cav is the bar supplying the cocktails.
The ever-changing menu is pretty much always banger after banger, but the jambon beurre gilda and revolutionary bikini dessert are already the talk of East London. Combine with an 80% female-founded wine list of red, white, orange and green varieties, this is pretty much the platonic ideal for a new London opening.
This is the cool East London spot you’ll want to get a table at before everyone knows about it
where: 255 Paradise Row, Greater London E2 9LE
website: www.cav255.com
Tollington’s
Iberian fish bar Tollington’s has already stolen the hearts of North London and become one of the buzziest spots in the city. The team behind Four Legs took over what was the old fish and chip shop on Finsbury Park, keeping the same old-school vibe and impeccable quality. You can get a takeaway from the bar or choose to eat in, with a handful of tables and stools available in the back. Sharing plates include cured stonebass with grapefruit, chips bravas, piri piri lemon sole and scallop with sobrasada.
where: 172 Tollington Park, Finsbury Park, London N4 3AJ
book here
El Pirata
Going strong for over 30 years, Spanish bar and restaurant El Pirata is one of London’s favourite spots for tapas. Its authentic cuisine and warm service have attracted quite a few celebrities over the years, drawn in by its menu of pan con tomate, gambas al pil-pil, pulpo al pirata and croqettas.
Going strong for over 30 years, Spanish bar and restaurant El Pirata is one of London’s favourite spots
Where: 5 – 6 Down St, London W1J 7AQ
Website: www.elpirata.co.uk
Donostia
Donostia takes its name from the city of San Sebastian in the Basque region, one of the foodie capitals of Europe, and therefore refers to its small plates as pintxos rather than tapas.
Seating just 40 guests, with a dining bar where guests can watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen, expect gildas, gambas, cold plates like jabugo, and olgagarrok, or Galician octopus.
where: 10 Seymour Pl, London W1H 7ND
website: www.donostia.co.uk
The Campaner
The Campaner takes a firmly Catalan approach to tapas, inspired by Barcelona’s vibrant soul and using local seasonal UK produce. Located on Garrison Square, the restaurant boasts a summer terrace perfect for the end of summer. Choose from patatas bravas, Spanish tortilla, grilled sobrasada with honey and gambas al ajillo.
where: CHELSEA BARRACKS, 1 GARRISON SQUARE, SW1W 8BG
website: WWW.THECAMPANER.COM
Tendido Cero
How do you know a Spanish restaurant in London is worth its salt? When visiting Spaniards choose it as their spot of choice. Carlos Alcaraz dined at Tendido Cero, the Tapas arm of Cambio del Tercio, with his team while playing at Wimbledon earlier this year.
From classics like padron peppers, ham croquettes, and Andalusian squid, to specialities like Iberian pork cheek braised in red wine, this restaurant will hit the spot.
where: 174 Old Brompton Rd, London SW5 0BA
website: www.cambiodeterciogroup.co.uk
