Is London’s Most Famous Spanish Restaurant Still Worth The Hype?
I’m not really sure what the tapas scene was like in London before Pizarro burst through in 2011. There were some gems, of course, but for the past ten-plus years, and despite an array of great Spanish restaurants, it still feels like the standard. If you’re after fine dining you’ll end up in The Ritz, if you want afternoon tea you’ll go to to Fortnum and Mason, and if you fancy feeling like you live in Madrid for an evening, you’ll head to one of the Pizarro restaurants.
In Partnership With Pizarro
What sets it apart
Since opening his first restaurant, José Pizarro has built something of a Spanish dynasty in London. Alongside the original tapas bar came a restaurant in Broadgate Circle, which specialises in serving croquettes and Jamón to hedgefund managers, and The Swan, a gastropub in Surrey, which also hosts a number of rooms so you can roll straight into bed after eating your bodyweight in paella.
Since opening his first restaurant, José Pizarro has built something of a Spanish dynasty in London
His second Bermondsey establishment, however, can’t really be described as overkill. Roomier and more relaxed than the relentless movement of the walk-up-only tapas bar, you can order a combination of smaller plates and larger sharing dishes here. The small plates are equally as delicious, and you have more freedom to savour the flavour when you know a big plate is coming next, and you’re free from the worry that the food-to-wine ratio might have tipped into the danger zone.
Our experience
Thanks to a long-awaited bit of sun in London and the al-fresco charm of its high street it felt – risk of cliché be damned – like Bermondsey had turned into Barcelona. It was Friday afternoon and it seemed everyone had the same idea that it would be best spent outdoors in the company of food.
One thing that comes with a reputation is the pressure to deliver. With references to family recipes and the cultural impact of food in Spain, it’s clear the restaurant takes its role of bringing its cuisine to curious and hungry outsiders very seriously, and with great care.
What we ordered
With tapas, such is the variety the meal is often defined by what you weren’t able to order – there’s always at least one dish you tell people “next time”. After already emotionally committing to the prawn croquettas, it was a blow to hear they had already ran out. Thankfully, another option in their daily changing croquettas was filled with blue cheese, and made for a perfect opening salvo combined with fresh pan con tomate.
The plate of herby white asparagus tasted like a distillation of spring
It’s only after this you get on to the actual starters, the sort of meal arrangement I fully support. A bowl of mussels in a spicy tomato sauce was sweet and delicious, and the plate of herby white asparagus (it’s asparagus season, if you didn’t know) was one of the freshest things I’ve eaten in recent memory, tasting like a distillation of spring. As it was a sunny lunch, this is ideally washed down with a glass of their own cava, or a dry white like polvorete.
For mains, a wonderfully garlicky, flaky and almost creamy Cod al pil pil, which comes huge in a sharing size for two. For three course and carafe of wine, two people could easily run up a bill under £100, great value in both quality and quantity.
Verdict
One of the more bizarre food trends in recent years is the fringe pushback against sharing plates which, if anything, is evidence we’re all becoming more egocentric. If anywhere should put this opinion to rest it’s here, because the joy is in the sharing; being able to try multiple dishes, and the conversing and comparing. Perfect for a group get-together or a special date, this is social dining at its most enjoyable and delicious.
