Watford, Spanish Restaurant Guide

“Superbly executed”, Mediterranean-inspired small plates “which change regularly” continue to win praise for this “really charming” basement spot, which is to be found in a picture-book Georgian terrace leading up to St John-in-Hampstead church. There’s also “a well-priced wine list including many options by the glass”.

Grade II listed late-Victorian tavern on Acton Green Common which serves an unusual mix of Spanish tapas and more standard pub fare, both in its handsome rear dining room (with small courtyard adjacent) and in the characterful bar; the quality varies, but it’s a popular spot.

“Well-executed dishes and great wines” have established this authentic tapas bar as a Crouch End staple in the past dozen years. Founder Stephen (‘Esteban’) Lironi is a Glasgow-born sherry aficionado who started out as a record producer and met his wife, Clare Grogan, as fellow members of post-punk band Altered Images.

This “curious, cosy little restaurant in a backwater of Marylebone” “seems to be flying rather under the radar” and has a small but very enthusiastic fan club who vaunt the Spanish and Italian tapas-style menu whose “real star dishes are those from the Josper grill” – not least “some excellent meats that stand up against much more exalted places, and at not too bad a price either”.

It’s “always a pleasure” to eat at this small but superior Basque specialist in Marylebone, where tapas and pintxos complement the regional grills served across the road at its sibling, Lurra. Opened in 2012, its founder Nemanja Borjanovic pioneered the importing of beef from retired Spanish dairy cows – you’ll find it on the menu here, and at his newer venue Ibai, near St Barts hospital.

“The Galician beef here is amazing, really special” – this Basque grill in Seymour Village is a “favourite” for many diners and stands in honourable contrast to the “many other average steakhouses” currently abounding in the Capital. Founder Nemanja Borjanovic has pioneered cuts from Spanish ‘Rubia Gallega’ retired milk cows in the UK, with this establishment one of the first to serve it 11 years ago (he is also behind nearby Donostia; and Ibai near Smithfield market). The other signature dish on the “simple menu, done to the max” is “the best turbot ever”, grilled whole over charcoal; with it and the steaks both sold by the kilogramme: “steak, fish and everything else is beautifully prepared and full of taste (we’ll be back!)”

“Decent tapas for the price” – with “all the usual suspects (patatas bravas, padron peppers, tortilla, croquettas)” – win praise for this Hispanic quartet, now well into their second decade. These days the cooking is reckoned “competent”, if “not up to the earlier standards” – perhaps a reflection of improved competition. Top Menu Tip – “it’s worth checking out the vegetable dishes” (“with some left-field options for the adventurous; the beetroot with coffee was great!”)

“Forget hopping on a budget flight to the famous Cal Pep in Barcelona…” – the original inspiration for the Hart Bros’ genius small group of tapas pitstops – “… here in London you can sit at the counter, with the fun of watching mouthwatering tapas being prepared in front of you, so delivered piping hot (and best is the unbeatable fresh fish cooked ‘a la plancha’)”. “From the greeting to the explanations of the dishes, service is knowledgeable and caring”; there’s “a good choice of Spanish wines and sherries”; and the “superb” overall formula has made them one of the most popular destinations in our annual diners’ poll for almost 20 years now, even if the feeling has grown that “merely a small selection of dishes can incur eyewatering bills”. Top Tips – “the best atmosphere is had eating perched on a stool at the counter, but the Adelaide Street branch does have comfortable table seating downstairs”. On the Menu – “specific praise for the mojama”; “especially lovely prawn stuffed tortilla, seabream and the crisp aubergine with honey”; “tasty rabbit paella”; “squid croquetas are a perfect combo – crunchy on the outside, unctuous within”. “Shout out for the basics: lovely oils, bread etc…”

2023 Review: The vintage styling – that of a classic European café – is at odds with ever-more über-sleek Coal Drops Yard. Reports on Anthony Demetre’s all-day operation (named for the vermouth which is a feature of its drink offering) are still few, but suggest its well-sourced tapas, charcuterie and more substantial fare (including steak) can make it a handy refuge, from breakfast onwards (for which there’s a dedicated selection).

Same name, different formulae for the Hart Bros’ duo of Latino grills, named for a Spanish ‘parrilla’ (grill). The N1 original is a large outdoor terrace (plus heaters) scenically located off Coal Drops Yard, and you prepare your own food at mini-grills on each table. The SE1 spin-off is in the newish Borough Yards development and provides similar fare, but prepared for you in the kitchen. The latter does win praise for its “lovely Spanish food and very good service”, but feedback generally on both locations is sparse, hence we’ve left it unrated this year.

There’s a certain Bond-villain chic to this top-floor Mexican dining room reached by an exterior red pill-shaped lift up the outside of the Standard Hotel. Complete with dramatic double-height ceilings, funky 1970s decor and floor-to-ceiling windows, it has incredible views of King’s Cross opposite. And the Mexican food is provided by Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, who won fame in Bristol as one of the UK’s top chefs. With all this glam and heritage then, it’s all the more remarkable how little buzz this five-year-old actually generates nowadays. Like so many chefs who have found success outside London and then aim to storm the capital, hitting the right formula can be tricky. One who did make the trip this year says its luxurious Latino dishes and mezcal cocktails are “good” but the sense that it’s “overpriced” is also highlighted as it has been in previous years .

From its King’s Cross roots, this tapas chain mushroomed in size in 2025 with its takeover of the former Iberica group, acquiring the latter’s good-looking sites in the process. Reports are slightly uneven, but its early days and the balance is notably positive, especially about the “buzzy” vibe in all locations.

“The quality never waivers” at Abel Lusa’s “fun and buzzy” tapas bar in South Kensington, a spinoff from his famous Cambio de Tercio – and some even reckon “the food is better than in its more expensive big brother over the road”. Top Menu Tips – “patatas bravas a must, as well as the jamon”.

Rioja-bred Abel Lusa “has been serving top-quality Spanish food since 1995 – long before Hispanic restaurants became fashionable in London” at his South Kensington flagship. He “deserves a medal for consistency at least” as it’s “hard to have a bad meal” here, and yet it’s “surprising how rarely it is mentioned in foodie circles”. The same cannot be said of its renown down at the All England Club: both Nadal and Alcaraz are regulars during Wimbledon fortnight (although often it’s for delivery-only) and Lusa now serves food at major tournaments around the globe.

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.

“Enjoyed sitting at the bar in Borough Kitchen…”; “a great place near the South Kensington Museums…”; “a great site on the banks of the Thames in Richmond” – it’s often the handy situation, “casual atmosphere” and affordable prices of this Hispanic group that generates interest amongst diners. “The food is of a reasonable standard”, but considering they are run by the UK’s premier Spanish food importers, performance is notably “chain like”, with “nothing spectacular” food-wise and “average service” often the end-product.

“A joy!” – paella cooked over a wood fire in the Valencian style, “so drier than some you may have had before” – is the headline attraction at this London outpost from superstar Spanish chef Quique Dacosta. But “sublime starters – beef cheeks, Atlantic squid and pork jowl” also really hit the spot on an “unexpected” menu. The location just off Oxford Street does little to attract custom, although it is a “good place to host in the private dining room”.