This is the sister of the long established Brindisa in Borough Market, and the format is similar i.e. tapas using high quality Spanish produce. The room has a mix of white tiles and rather garish green walls, from which hang assorted bucolic pieces of art, such as a picture of a goatherd and his goats. At the back is a bar, which looked attractive. The bread is slices of country bread from a baker called Seven Seas, which I have not come across before, but was pleasant with good taste (14/20).
The wine list was four pages in length and has brief tasting notes, mostly Spanish. It starts at £14.50 a bottle and moves right up to the sublime Vega Sicilia Unico 1996 at £195, which may sound a lot but is really not, since the wine costs about £150 or so to buy. In the middle are choices such as Tionio 2004 for £43.45 for a wine that costs around £15 retail.
Tortilla (£4.50) was the least good dish, the potato omelette a little tepid in temperature and a fraction soggy, though perfectly edible; a salad of herb leaves had had very fresh leaves (12/20). Much better were garlic prawns (£7), sizzling in their skillet and resting in the oil in which they were fried, along with pieces of garlic and a little chilli. The prawns were cooked very nicely (easily 13/20).
A single slab of chorizo (£5.95) was served on a piquillo pepper and rested on toasted farm bread. I found the texture of the chorizo a touch heavy going, but the pepper was good (just about 13/20). You could also have the fine Joselito gran reserva pata negra for £20 a portion. Service was cheerful, and even on this weekday lunchtime the place was lively. For me this is a step below the standard at, say, Fino, but certainly better than many.
Bellaphon
The warmth of the sun in winter can be found here. The apricity is evident in the food, the service and dining at the bar next to the open kitchen. All heart-warming stuff. Turned up for lunch with a friend with no reservation and as they were fully booked, we were offered to sit at the bar instead. What a brilliant coup by default it was as I’d decided that the main dining room was dark and crowded. The bar is situated towards the end of the restaurant and next to the open kitchen. It was bright and cheery, no doubt aided by the skylights. The main advantages with sitting at the bar are the attention with service is pretty much immediate and you get a thoroughly inclusive glimpse of the Master Class cooking from the kitchen. But be warned, as there are only six covers available by the bar. If you do decide to book for a table instead, ask for one of the six that’s located within the kitchen area as the atmosphere becomes less intrusive and enjoyable. I find it impossible to fault the dishes that we ordered, in fact the only hugely disappointing thing was we didn’t save enough room for the cheeses or the puddings. All the requisite ticks were given to the Gordal olives, bread (bloody delicious carbs responsible for no puddings), León chorizo with piquillo pepper on toast and the Ibérico ham croquetas. My standouts were the Red mullet with oven potatoes and black olives, and the near life changing experience of the casserole of Pork cheeks with butternut beans. Of course, comparisons are bound to be drawn to Barrafina. I found that the portions of the dishes served at Tierra Brindisa are a tad more but the fish options offered by Barrafina more variegated. For the ambience alone, I think Barrafina wins and I’m prepared to queue. Either way both establishments go on to prove that we Londoners are a lucky bunch, we can and will always be spoilt for choice.