Fitzrovia, Spanish Restaurant Guide

2019 Review: This “fantastic, traditional-style tapas restaurant” in Fitzrovia was founded in 1985, well before the contemporary tapas boom. Family-run, “humble” and “down-to-earth” – it may lack the pizzazz of its more modern Iberian competitors, but is “very good value”.

“A variety of excellent tapas” (mixing Spanish and Italian inspirations) and an appealing, “buzzy” (if sometimes “loud”) atmosphere created huge interest in the original Fitzrovia branch, when it opened back in 2005. But while still retaining a loyal fan club, it can seem overhyped nowadays (“it’s always listed as a go-to place, but there are much better tapas available elsewhere now”). Having spawned various spin-offs (Dehesa, Opera Tavern, Ember Yard), since 2018 it’s been part of Urban Pubs & Bars who have decided to roll it out: first to Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush (which opened in July 2022) and coming soon to Borough Market if local planning objections can be overcome.

2022 Review: “A wonderful menu with a good choice of tapas to suit all tastes” again wins recommendations for this buzzy and good-value bar on Goodge Street.

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”.

“Good food, but not great value” is a common verdict on this Spanish venture north of Oxford Street – the London outpost of chef Quique Dacosta, whose Alicante restaurant has three Michelin stars. It certainly looks impressive, with an open kitchen dominated by a six-metre woodfired stove, at which choice cuts of meat and fish are grilled alongside a dozen rice dishes cooked in the pan. But while it is praised for its “perfect paella”, it is also often cited as diners’ “most overpriced meal of the year”.

2021 Review: Up-and-down reports on this “lovely” Soho haunt, specialising in wood-fired, Mediterranean, grilled dishes – part of Salt Yard Group (all of which was absorbed into the Urban Pubs portfolio in November 2018). Fans applaud the “delicious tapas from this ever-reliable family” but quite a few reports express disappointment: “maybe there’s a sense it isn’t quite what it was”.