Wednesday equalled tapas and I was ridiculously full on 4 days worth of dining out by that time. Argh! However, I rallied and after a cheeky few drinks in Apt (raspberry bellinis = yum) we headed to the hidden away Barcelona Tapas Bar which is situated between Bank and St Pauls.
Emma, organiser extraordinaire, had booked us in for the toptable deal with allows 2 for 1 tapas with the cheapest being free. Obviously we rejoiced at this and then proceeded to order more than we probably needed... But we wanted it anyway! The restaurant is in the basement/cellar and is brightly decorated in reds, blues and yellow with tiling on the walls and lovely tiled floors. As soon as I smelled the food my stomach started to rumble and I got myself in the mood for some serious tapas eating!
So what did we eat? I'll put down what I remember! There were 8 of us and we all had 4 dishes each so we had a great choice food-wise.
- Cabrales (Cabrales cheese is a natural cheese made in the artisan tradition. Aged from two to six months in natural caves in limestone mountains.)
- Croquetas de jamon iberico (Exquisite, bite size croquettes of Iberico ham. Tasty and very, very Moorish.)
- Albondigas a la Barcelonesa (Fresh homemade beef meatballs with peppers, onions & tomatoes.)
- Pincho Cordero (Pieces of tender lamb infused with spices from Andalucia and then grilled on a skewer.)
- Patatas All-i-oli (Deep fried potato cubes with a tasty Catalan garlic mayonnaise.)
- Boquerones en Vinagre (Fresh anchovies (not salty) cured in oil, vinegar & garlic.)
- Chorizo en vino (Spanish spicy sausage cooked with wine.)
- Chorizo iberico
- Samfaina (A pisto of slow cooked tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, courgettes and onions. A delicious accompaniment to meat or fish.)
Most of the food was really amazing and the only criticism is that it took a long time for different things to arrive. Then again, with 30 odd dishes and a busy restaurant, this wasn't a huge problem. There was also a very strange and horrible pork and chips dish... We're not sure why it was was on the table or what it was but it didn't seem to be what was ordered!
I'd definitely go again. It's a great way to try new things, a brilliant way to have fun with food and it was very much enjoyed by all of us.
And the damage? £17 each with some having wine. Not bad at all!
Vitals
Barcelona Tapas Bar
13 Well Court, Off Bow Lane, London EC4M 9DN
Tel: 0207 329 5111
Website: http://www.barcelona-tapas.com/
Nearest tube: Bank
No comments:
Post a Comment