Tapas restaurants and bars have grown from strength to strength in recent years. Sharing plates is ideal for intimate date nights. The sophisticated diners in London nowadays prefer variety over quantity. There are increasingly more innovative options than just your classic tapas staples like patatas bravas.
In this article, we will take a look at my top four suggestions for the best tapas restaurants in London.
1. Andanza London Bridge
This cosy tapas bar is much beloved by locals in the London Bridge area. The hidden gem is only metres away from London Bridge station but is away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby office blocks. The salvaged dark panels and doors along with the high chairs and the open kitchen are reminiscent of the basque tapas bars you will find in Spain.
What marks Andanza out from other tapas restaurants in London is its frequently changing menu and its specials board. You are guaranteed to discover dishes you won’t find elsewhere. They created turkey croquetas for the festive season. Where else would you find a bruschetta with blue cheese, apricot jam and olive paste? Prices are the most reasonable in town with all tapas dishes being under £10. Booking is highly recommended given the limited space in the restaurant.
Every dish is created with loving care. A simple pan con tomate is elevated to haute cuisine status with freshly baked bread that is soft and tender, readily soaking up the sweet and tangy notes from the top-quality tomatoes. The patatas bravas were served with an intense bravas sauce, which filled the table immediately with a rich smoked paprika aroma. Don’t forget to check out their lengthy wine list, filled with numerous top-quality Spanish options, which you might not find at other tapas restaurants in London.
Click here to visit their website.
2. Brindisa Borough Market
The love of Spanish gastronomy can be traced back to the well-respected, Monika Linton when she founded Brindisa in 1988. Her retail shop opened that year in Borough Market and this was followed by the restaurant in 2004. She not only helped to popularise Spanish tapas restaurants in London but also helped to make Borough Market famous before the likes of Bridget Jones arrived on the scene.
Even though, her restaurant is 20 years old, it is one of the most popular tapas restaurants in London, given it is traditionally the first view people have of Borough Market when they arrive. Giving the restaurant is mere metres away from their shop, you won’t be surprised to discover the sourcing of ingredients is the key to Brindisa’s enduring success.
Dishes like huevos rotos (potatoes with a broken egg) aren’t overly complex, but they only use the very best ingredients. In this case, it is cacklebean eggs. It offers a richer flavour to the dish and the vivid orange colour of the yolk is unmistakable. Likewise, gambas al ajillo isn’t hard to create, but the plump and juicy prawns are served in a sizzling skillet filled with chilli, garlic and olive oil.
What makes them stand out amongst tapas restaurants in London is they offer a specialist cheese handpicked by their experts from their Balham cheese rooms. It is designed to replicate the traditional Spanish maturing environments. If you want the most authentic Spanish cheeses in town, such as a Zamorano Vicente Pastor, this is the place to be.
Click here to visit their website.
3. Barrafina Borough Yards
London Bridge seems to have developed a golden triangle of top-quality tapas restaurants in London. Barrafina Borough Yards is one of the newest restaurants in the area. Although, this iconic brand has been around since 2007 when brothers Sam and Eddie Hart opened the first Barrafina on Frith Street. Sam is now the CEO of Harts Group, a growing empire of well-respected restaurants in London.
Barrafina Borough Yards is all about embracing the open kitchen concept. The set-up is all high chairs and tall tables with all the action taking place centrally, as their talented chefs magically conjure up the finest of tapas dishes. There is possibly less queuing involved at this branch compared to other branches, but it’s a rare sight to observe empty seats here.
Tortilla is arguably the most popular dish on their menu, as you can observe a constant production line of omelettes, with the squid ink version particularly eye-catching. With the kitchen right in front of your eyes, there is no surprise the dishes such as their lamb pintxo moruno are served piping hot. They also offer a specials menu, which is not to be missed. During our recent visit, we managed to sample Spanish fried cod and oysters.
Their wine list is not to be missed, especially the lengthy selection of sherries. The Harts Group does own a significant number of the wineries listed. In particular, I would recommend the Harts Bros Albariño 2021. It is fresh, yet structured and great for pairing with their seafood dishes.
Click here to visit their website.
4. Tapas Revolution Westfield London
With the post-Christmas sales in full swing, there is no better time to visit the shopping mecca that is Westfield London. If you are looking to rest those tired legs after a session of retail therapy, one place to consider is Tapas Revolution. The open bar set-up of the restaurant is ideal for those who enjoy people-watching. The restaurant started up in 2010 and was more celebrity chef-focused at the beginning. However, with a change in executive chef, the focus nowadays is firmly on the tapas dishes they offer.
All the tapas classics are present including patatas bravas and pan con tomate. However, they don’t just restrict themselves to Spanish dishes, so you will see crowd-pleasing options like salmon ceviche. The more filling options include a flavoursome creamy seafood rice cooked in a saffron stock as well as Canarian chicken skewers.
You might wonder with their cosy on-site kitchen, how they manage to create such an extensive menu. I was told by the staff, that they have a much more spacious prep kitchen further up in the building. Prices are extremely reasonable, with a majority of the dishes being under £10. Their bottomless brunch during the weekends is hugely popular and includes 3 tapas dishes along with unlimited sangria or red or white wine for one and a half hours for £25 per person.
Click here to visit their website.
Why not check out my article on the top 3 most popular American diners in London, click here to read the article.
