London Restaurants | London Guide

New Tapas Restaurant to Open in Westfield Shopping Centre

A new Spanish tapas restaurant will be opening in the Westfield shopping centre later this month.

Talented Spanish chef Omar Allibhoy, is set to open the tapas bar which will be named, Tapas Revolution.

Tapas Revolution will be the first in a series of Madrid-style all day tapas bars planned throughout the UK, all based on his campaign to show Brits the beauty of Spanish cuisine.

Already hot property as Head Chef of respected London restaurant El Pirata Detapas, Omar was recently described by Gordon Ramsay as the ‘Antonio Banderas of cooking’.

Located on the mezzanine level of Europe’s largest shopping centre, Tapas Revolution will bring all the excitement of a traditional Spanish tapas bar to London.

Guests will be able to start the day with churros con chocolate, enjoy some Jamon, tapas y vinos for lunch or dinner, pick up an authentic bocadillo if they are on the move or sip on a refreshing glass of cava. 

The passionate 26-year-old sources his ingredients from small farms all around Spain. He’s even asked his coffee supplier to prepare a blend that tastes the same as the coffee back in his loved barrio of Madrid. Omar is also working with a baker to produce a special flauta bread he couldn't find in London. 

"Everything at Tapas Revolution will be as authentic as if you were back home in Spain,” says Omar. 

Renowned interior specialists DesignLSM worked with Omar to develop his ideas for the Tapas Revolution bar. The 5O metre pewter bar with open ham cellar, will be surrounded by 43 high stools, so guests can experience the speed and excitement of a real all-day tapas bar. Iberian products will be displayed in the bar-top counter in front of the guests. 

“My Tapas Revolution bars will be fun and very Spanish - only without the siestas,” says Omar. “In Spain, food is a way of life – both of which are best shared with other people.” 

The idea behind Tapas Revolution is two fold - trained by Ferran Adrià of world famous restaurant El Bulli, the charming and self-styled Omar is on a mission to show the British public the simplicity and sheer joy of Spanish cooking. Last July, he set out on a 900-mile journey complete with obligatory motorcycle, a tent, sleeping bag and a few essential ingredients to bring tapas to the people. Starting in Liverpool and heading due East towards Grimsby before doubling back and making his way down to Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the cooking whizz-kid carved a ‘T’ shape across the UK.

Good luck Omar - sounds like your passion will win over the shoppers!

Free Cava at Camino Restaurant, Canary Wharf

Join Camino in celebrating the opening with a free bottle of Cava for everyone! 

Download voucher here

 

Following the success of the original King’s Cross location a new Camino opened to the public on the banks of the Thames on September 15th 2010.

 

The new location boasts views south and west down the river from a spacious terrace partly shaded by a canopy of trees. Large sherry barrels add to the unmistakable Spanish feel and parasols protect outside diners.

 

The location means customers can shun the Tube or bus - with the adjacent Canary Wharf Pier making it possible to arrive and depart from central London by Thames Clipper from early morning until just before midnight.

 

Terrace and Interior:

Windows form the entire front and side of the building and are fully opening on the bar side. Patterned Andalusian tiles are set into the floor at the front of the building, reclaimed oak and pine floorboards make up the rest of the ground space and reclaimed Victorian brickwork adds an earthy charm. 

 

Inside the bar is a dominant feature and the large open kitchen faces out across the whole premises. A large painted mural runs across the front of the kitchen from the bar to the restaurant featuring La Boqueria - one of the world's most famous food markets on La Rambla as well as barrels, a castle, classic Andalusian tiles and vines post-harvest in an Autumnal shot fading away into the hillside. 

 

Food:

The menu consists of tapas made with ingredients head chef Nacho del Campo, who has been in command at King’s Cross for 2½ years, makes extreme effort in sourcing. Whilst the roots are traditional in terms of the best ingredients, simply served, with gutsy flavours, there are also some contemporary twists. The restaurant has imported a charcoal grill from Bilbao to ensure steaks (which come from Mather's Gold cattle in Scotland), can be cooked in the proper Basque way – studded with sea-salt, chargrilled and sliced. Lamb, iberico pork and fish are also charcoal grilled. Seasonal specials feature at all times. 

 

Drinks:

A succinct wine list details the grape variety/ies, region and a short description. All are Spanish, and many are available by the glass and carafe.

 

'Los Cañónes Grandes' (The Big Guns) have been introduced for the Canary Wharf location. This is an additional list that includes many of the absolute finest wines from Spain. The exception to the all-Spanish rule here is some sparkling wines made in the cava method but from outside Spain, like Nyetimber, Louis Roederer, Bollinger Grande Année and Krug.

 

A range of Spanish beers include crisp lagers, a pale ale, a malty dark brew from Zaragoza, a super-premium lager and a wheat beer made in conjunction with Ferran Adrià – ideal for matching with food. Agua de Valencia, Sangria and a number of Latino cocktails form the backbone of the cocktail list.

 

Wine Temperature Regulation:

Due to an increase in space the new site has enabled all wines to be served at the correct temperatures so the taste and feel is optimized. These temperatures are 3 degrees for Cava, Champagne, fino and manzanilla sherries, bottled beer and cider, 6 degrees for white wines, roses and other sherries and 16 degrees for red wines. The reds will taste fresher as a result of being at 'cellar temperature'- avoiding being served at room temperature that often loses their freshness and balance. 

 

Address:

28 Westferry Circus

E14 8RR

Enquiries:  020 7841 7331

Tube: Canary Wharf (Jubilee), Westferry Circus or Canary Wharf (DLR)

Bus: D3, D7, 135, 277 all go from Canary Wharf to Westferry 

 

Capacity:

Restaurant – 60 seats

Terrace – 40 seats

Bar Area (high level seating and a lounge area) – 150 capacity

 

Useful Links:

http://www.camino.uk.com/

http://camino.uk.com/page/camino-puerto-del-canario

El Pirata, Notting Hill - New Tasting Menus

Critically allaimed, El Pirata Detapas in Notting Hill, introduces three fantastic regional Spanish degustacion menus for the summer. Showcasing regional tapas specialties from the regions of Navarra in northern Spain in July, Catalunya (which encompasses Barcelona) in August and the Basque region in September.

El Pirata Detapas has Head Chef Omar Allibhoy to thank for these accessible tasting menus which represent excellent value for money at just £20 per person. Hailing from Madrid, Omar’s cocina nueva blends traditional dishes with contemporary twists, with ingredients sourced from artisan Spanish producers, all in a relaxed neighbourhood atmosphere.

Each menu features 10 different regional tapas and is designed for two to share. Typical dishes on the Catalunya menu include broad beans with Serrano ham; traditional cod samfaina; and pig trotter carpaccio with truffle oil. The Navarra menu has been created to coincide with the region’s San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, better known as the running of the bulls, which takes place from 6th July to 14th July this year. Choose from dishes such as roasted fresh cod with ajoarriero piquillo pepper sauce; chicken chilindon, paprika with Serrano ham sauce and menestra vegetable stew. The Vasca menu features Basque specialties such as mussel croquettes; red kidney bean stew and black pudding; and cuttlefish with black rice.

Head Chef Omar Allibhoy says, “There’s a huge amount about Spanish regional cuisine yet to be discovered in this country. I’m so proud of my culinary heritage and the quality of our ingredients that I want everyone in London to try it – that’s why it’s just £20 per person.”

The menus are available from 1 July 2009 until 30 September 2009. El Pirata Detapas also offers a fantastic Menu Del Dia – a set lunch (available midday - 6:30pm) which offers a real taste of Spain for just £9. With two authentic tapas from the lunch menu, plus homemade bread and alioli, and a glass of red or white wine or a soft drink, you can’t go wrong.

El Pirata Detapas, 115 Westbourne Grove, London W2 4UP
T: 020 7727 5000
www.elpiratadetapas.co.uk

Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday 12pm - 3pm 6pm - 11pm
Saturday - Sunday 12pm - 11pm

Restaurante Espana, Shinjuku, Tokyo

A week of raw fish had left me craving something a bit more European.  I had it in my mind that if I could only find a Spanish restaurant, I'd be a happy man.  Wandering down from Shinjuku station (South exit), I spied a big Spanish flag on the 3rd floor of one of the high rises, proudly displaying 'Espana Restaurant', so I cut to the chase and went in.

You go up in the lift to the 3rd floor and come almost straight in to the restaurant, which is not unusual in Tokyo.  The restaurant floor area is small, maybe 40 covers, with a little bar at the back and the kitchen on the left.  It is decked out with Spanishy nick-nacks and the tables and chairs are kind of in keeping with its Iberian cousins.  It definitely does not have the look of a typical Japanese restaurant, let's put it that way.

The menu is a good mixture of tapas and rice dishes and the descriptions are in Japanese, English and Spanish.  I tried Patatas Bravas (ok), Grilled squid cooked in the ink (good), Gambas in garlic & oil (very good), grilled cod (very good but too small a portion for 900 yen). Each dish varied in price from around 500 yen (about £3) to around 900 yen.

The paellas are very good, and reasonably priced at about 3,800 yen for two to share.  I tried the Valencian version, which had a decent amount of chicken and seafood in it. The rice was perfectly cooked and very tasty.

I saw 'Stewed Ram in Verde Sauce' on the menu for 1,400 yen but did not try it.

They have a good selection of Spanish wines here, which included my current favourite - the 2005 Pesquera from Ribera del Duero, well priced at 5,000 yen.  It is gluggingly delicious.

Service was OK.  Dishes arrived reasonably quickly although the paella took time (which you expect). Interestingly I noticed the head chef plating dishes up with chopsticks (he was Japanese but cooked Spanish food well)!

Puddings were a disappointment. The cheese plate for 900 yen had plenty of cheese, but it was all processed and not a sniff of Manchego in sight.  The apple tart was dry, crumbly and probably defrosted not early enough since it was stone cold inside.

But overall I really enjoyed the Espana experience and judging by its popularity on the Saturday night I visited, so do the locals.

Sharing Spanish tapas dishes is a convivial thing to do and the Japanese can do convivial in buckets nowadays.  Recommended!

Restaurante Espana

2-10-10 Yoyogi, Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo, 151 0053

Nearest station: Shinjuku, South exit

Tel: 03 3379 1159

Lola Rojo Restaurant, Northcote Road, London

A return visit to LR, this time for lunch on a Saturday around 1pm. It was busy but they found us a table for two between the front and the back of the restaurant. In some ways it was like eating in the passageway but in another way it was kind of cosy.

The staff are excellent, rushed off their feet but still smiling and attentive.  I think we had the smiliest waitress the world has ever seen.

We were hungry and we over-ordered, but so what - I was with the wife, it was almost Valentine's day and we had a baby sitter for a couple of hours.

Jamon Iberico, Patatas Bravas, Spanish Omelette, Octopus Croquetes, Cannellini Butifarra, Confit of Pig and a big basket of bread on top.  All of it delicious. Portion sizes are not big and the tapas is modern style - beautifully presented and very rich.

Prices are quite high - we managed to spend £64 including tip and we only had tap water, one glass of red wine and one glass of Cava.

I still love it here.

78 Northcote Rd, London, SW11 6QL
www.lolarojo.net

Lola Rojo, Clapham, London

The wife wrote this one:

If you've spent any time in Spain you'll be aware that tapas aren't limited to  patatas bravas, a slice of tortilla and a plate of albondigas. Yes yes yes! These  oldies are goodies but Lola Rojo offers tapas 21st Century style...!

Enter LR (assuming that unlike me, you go in through the door rather than stumble  upon unsuspecting diners via the french windows) and you are instantly transported  into the kind of effortlessly stylish eatery that wouldn't be out of place in one of  those higgledy piggledy streets you find in the historic quarters of Barcelona or Madrid.

But the best thing about LR is that the food is great DESPITE its alluring decor (something sadly used often by restaurateurs to mask a poor culinary offering). The staff are friendly and efficient. I arrived 10 minutes early to our cosy table for three (far too excited at the prospect of a meal not involving handfuls of puree in my hair) but a promptly delivered glass of pink bubbles (bottle of rose cava £18.50) made me a happy bunny as I perused the varied menu.

Now, the menu is divided into around 8 sections. The first two are smaller plates ranging from £2.20 to £5.50, these are followed by cured meats, classic, fish and meat tapas (£4.75 to £9.75). You can also choose from paella and rice dishes (£9.20 to £11.80) should you want something more robust. We went for a variety of tapas from the classic (yes we had them!) patatas bravas and chistorra to the more exotic aubergine and foi gras cannelloni. All equally delicious and delicately presented.

The octopus croquettes "with onion sauce Antonio's mum style" was a worthwhile punt before moving on to an excellent black rice with aioli (of which I guiltily admit having had the lion's share...).

In true new years spirit we all pretended to be too full and skipped desserts but we did have coffees/teas. All in all a successful, enjoyable and good value evening (after tipping our friendly waitress the bill came to just under £24 a head) which

I'm looking forward to repeating next month when I'll be visiting with another friend.

Hurray for Mummy's nights off!