King's Cross, Spanish Restaurant Guide

“A smokey, fun, tasty and companionable way to enjoy an outdoor lunch or dinner” – the Hart Bros’ “great terrace” (all outside) overlooking the Regent’s Canal in Coal Drops Yard provides a form of DIY mini-grill, whereby you BBQ your selection to your liking. Even the odd reporter who is “not too convinced by the cook-for-yourself format” thinks it’s “good for a change”.

“As brilliant as ever… and being able to book is a big bonus!!” – the Hart Bros’ recreations of Barcelona’s Cal Pep are “still going strong”; and with the Drury Lane branch – Barrafina Mariscos – now dedicated to seafood. “Sitting at the bar is just so intimate”: “it’s fun to watch all the prep” and “watching the chefs at work simply makes you want to order more of the superb tapas”. “This is the food that made lockdown so hard. The food you can’t cook yourself… the courgette flower a crispy, yet unctuously delicious, dirty cheesy and honey- dripping delight, and the oh so, so, so oozingly fabulous tortilla with prawns and peppers”. And “the people watching is fabulous” too. One warning flag though. The ratings slipped a fraction this year, alongside the odd comment that “while it’s very good on a good day, consistency can be an issue”; or that “what once seemed almost impossibly daring now feels more familiar and comfy”. Still, for most folks, it’s plain “terrific”. Top Tip – at all branches, not just Mariscos, “the fish is fantastic”.

A “top Negroni” is to be had at Anthony Demetre’s all-day bar/café in ever-more-happening Coal Drops Yard. We’ve had little feedback on the food this year, though – hence no rating – whose stated aim is to gather the best bar bites of Italy, France and Spain. More reports please.

“You can’t knock a place that does good morcilla” – and for “great food that won’t break the bank”, the “consistently high standards” at this small Hispanic group win it a small but enthusiastic following. The Bankside branch closed since our last edition, leaving the King’s Cross original, plus Shoreditch and Monument.