Southwark, Spanish Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: This “charming, unpretentious neighbourhood tapas restaurant” in an old Southwark pub is a “good option near the South Bank and Young Vic theatre”. “The food is reliable if a little old-fashioned” and comes in “proper portions”. The place “can be noisy – the staff, however, are darlings!”. There’s “a private room for hire upstairs”.

2021 Review: “Authentic and delicious tapas… if you can get a table” has made the bustling, original branch of this Hispanic food importer’s chain a well-known feature of Borough Market, and “at busy times, it feels rushed”. It has spawned a number of spin-offs over the years, which are generally high quality, if not as vibey as the original: most recently opening a ‘Brindisa Kitchen Bar’ at Jubilee Place.

2021 Review: “Just incredible! Every mouthful delights the tastebuds” – “punchy, powerful, memorable morsels of real food” – at this meat-centric Borough Market tapas joint, run by “people who seem interested in what they’re offering”. A “buzzing, little place under a railway arch”, it’s a “cosy” experience if sometimes a little “rushed and cramped”. The Spanish team has a second branch in Soho, likewise praised for “superb tapas, and service with style but not pomp”.

2021 Review: This “modestly priced” veteran Hispanic opposite the Young Vic is invariably “packed out” from early evening. “It’s my default for a quick pre-theatre supper”. There’s “such a vibe between 7-9pm – nobody’s going to write sonnets about the food, but sometimes it’s just about the good times”.