Tapas Bar in London

I try to avoid Spanish places in London, as I usually go a couple times a year to Spain, and I honestly believe the food over there is much better than the remakes I have found here so far. But chef Jose Pizarro came to prove me wrong. I’ve been wanting to go to Jose for long time now, a Sherry and Tapas bar, nice ambience, good light from the huge windows, Gipsy Kings on the background playing Hotel California, and the smell of Iberico all over, for me it was love at first sight. 

The place

Iberico

Specials

I started with a caña, Alhambra Especial, really nice flavour of the beer. Then my first round of tapas I went for classics, Padron peppers, a tortilla, and one of the daily special the squid. The peppers were great, classic execution, nice flavour of the sea salt and the bitter taste of the few burnt areas. Tortilla great as well, again classic nice flavour and nice seasoning. The squid was superb, the slightly fried squid with onions and capers, and on top aioli just magnificent. 

Beer time

Padron peppers

Squid, capers, aioli

Tortilla

Then I saw Jose drop by to see how the business was running, after minutes of distraction I continue with my last two tapas, I wanted every dish on the menu but needed to focus, so I went again for another daily special, morcilla with apple and mint, and completed my journey with Iberico Manuel Maldonado meatballs. The morcillas (black pudding) were great, nice contrast between the salty morcilla and the sweet apple and red pepper, all that drizzle with a mint oil. Finally the meatballs were exquisite, perfectly cooked, and the tomato based sauce was to die for, the right level of acidity, they add a toasted bread which I used to dip, double dip, and triple dip the succulent sauce, I don't care Timmy I'll dip the way I want to dip. 

Morcilla

Meatballs

Brilliant lunch, highly recommended, the stars of the day definitely the meatballs and the squid. 

Menu

Bar

Double dipping reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Implant” 

Timmy: What are you doing? 

George: What? 

Timmy: Did you just double dip that chip? 

George: Excuse me? 

Timmy: You double dipped the chip! 

George: Double dipped? What are you talking about? 

Timmy: You dipped the chip. You took a bite, and you dipped again 

George: So? 

Timmy: That's like putting your whole mouth right in the dip! From now on, when you take a chip, just take one dip and end it! 

George: Well, I'm sorry, Timmy, but I don't dip that way 

Timmy: Oh, you don't, huh? 

George: No. You dip the way you want to dip... I'll dip the way I want to dip 

Timmy: Give me the chip! Give me the chip!

Jose

T: 020 7403 4902

Sherry & Tapas Bar

Aprox Damage: £20pp

Area: Bermondsey

Borough: Southwark

Twitter: Jose_Pizarro

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In the jungle the Leon sleeps tonight!

Recently I was looking for a quick bite in Blackfriars and realised I have never eaten in Leon. 11 restaurants 10 of them in London. Hectic, fast, noisy, as would you expect in the City during lunch rush hour. Their offer food that taste good and do good, using seasonal fresh ingredients from farms they trust. 

Leon

Got to the place with a colleague, at the end I ordered Moroccan meatballs and a grilled chicken salad. The meatballs were beef and lamb, a little dry, plum tomato sauce pretty decent, herbs, and a garlic sauce which gave a nice touch, rice as a side good enough, overall ok. The chicken salad a little disappointing, greens including spinach, peas, quinoa, some tomatoes, add to that the aioli sauce which was scarce, some pieces of grilled chicken, it was again just ok. 

Salad

Meatballs

Fast food, not my style, but if you’re in a rush, and want some wrap it might work for you I will probably pass. 

Lunch time completely packed

Meatballs remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Little Jerry” 

Elaine: Kurt? What's with the sweats? Aren't we going out?

Kurt: I don't care

Elaine: You, uh, got a big stain on your shirt

Kurt: Oh yeah, meatball, fell out of my sandwich

Elaine: You already ate?

Kurt: It's from yesterday

Leon

T: + 020 7489 1580

Mediterranean Fast Food

Aprox Damage: £10pp

Area: Blackfriars

Borough: City of London

Twitter: leonrestaurants

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Russell Norman Strikes Back

The new venture for Russell Norman small dishes empire is Mishkin’s. Yes the same Norman that gave us the magic of Da Polpo, Spuntino, Polppeto, and Polpo is back looking for rebel forces on the planet Covent Garden. Loose Jewish comfort food, nothing too kosher about that, would this be the place that Ezra Mishkin envisioned? Not so crowded as his brother Spuntino, Mishkin’s has a unique atmosphere, a definitive mix between Manhattan and London, big bar just at the entrance and tables at the back, wooden and brick walls, and their now classic rustic décor. 

Mishkin's

Inside

My friend first comment after studying the menu was I don’t understand it, who cares? Order one of each and make your life easy, if it’s as good as Da Polpo or Spuntino you will be fine. Good cocktails, I haven’t been feeling too good so I ordered a milkshake which was pretty good, but my friend ordered a Diamond Fizz (gin, prosecco, and lemon) which actually loved so much that couldn’t resist to tweet about that. 

Diamond Fizz

Plenty of options I knew I wanted to try the Reuben, pastrami on rye with sauerkraut, Swiss melted cheese, and Russian dressing. It was awesome, huge portion, full of flavour, the dressing, the sauerkraut, and the melted cheese in perfect balance with the pastrami, definitely my favourite Reuben in London, I can compare it to the one of Grahamwich in Chicago. I want it more so I ordered a special fried sprouts with garlic dip, the battered was good, nice flavour, good dip, but I think it felt a little bit short. Finally I was between meatballs or the traditional matzo ball soup, at the end decided to try the Lamb and Pistachio meatball, good spicy kick, nice flavour but a little bit dry, nothing serious that can be easily fix as the flavours are there. 

Reuben

More Reuben

Meatballs

Fried Sprouts

Highly recommended, nice atmosphere, R&B music out loud, I recall Otis Redding version of Satisfaction, a different and unique menu, and great cocktails, I wonder why it wasn’t as packed as Spuntino during my visit, probably Jewish cuisine is a hard sell for Londoners, not sure, time will tell, but for now I will go for my Matzo Ball and another Reuben when nearby Covent Garden. 

A view of the bar

Jewish cuisine reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Fatigues” 

George: What are you doing here? 

Kramer: Well, he came by to pick up his check for the banquet hall. You know I got a hundred and eighty-three responses? Oh, it's going to be a ragger 

Jerry: Kramer, how are you going to cook Jewish delicacies for a hundred and eighty-three people? 

Kramer: Yeah, you're right. That's a lot of pupkitz. Hey Frank, you know anybody who can help me cook? 

Frank: Cook? No, I don't know any cooks. I don't know anything about cooking!

Mishkin's

T: 020 7240 2078

Jewish Deli

Area: Covent Garden

Borough: Westminster

Twitter: MishkinsWC2

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Da Polpo: New York Italian Style in London

What can be better than Italian cuisine with New York influence in the middle of London? Well that’s what Richard Beatty and Russell Norman figure it out when they open their fourth venture Da Polpo. The restaurant has the same style as their brothers Polpo, Polpetto, and Spuntino, no reservation policy, pretty similar trendy industrial decor, great food, and good service.

da Place

Deja Vu

I was wanting to visit the place after I felt in love with Spuntino, I don’t know if it was because it remind me Manhattan or just because it is a great place, with simple food, and amazing flavours. So my friend Reter came to visit and I couldn’t resist taking him to the place.

da Bar, this time more tables than bar as opposite to Spuntino

The menu based on Cicheti, Pizzette, Vegetables & Salads, Meatballs, Plates, and Desserts. Funny enough no octopus at all in the menu, but plenty of options so we decided to try as much as we can.

da Menu

First the cicheti which means a small snack or side dish typically from Venice, we got two of them, a potato and parmesan croquette, and an arancini, both extremely tasty. Then we share two pizzette, the first one with mortadella, gorgonzola, and pickled radicchio, and the second one with pork shoulder and pickled pepper, quite good both, and inviting to order more, so we then went for the meatballs, our choice lamb and mint, excellent flavour. Last but not least we got two plates, the fritto misto which is seafood deep fried, and the grilled asparagus buttered eggs and parmesan, amazing, excellent way to end a superb meal.

Cicheti 

Pork shoulder and pickled pepper pizzette 

Mortadella, Gorgonzola, and pickled radicchio 

Fritto misto 

Meatballs, probably a favourite for a Swedish colleague

Eggs and asparagus, breakfast?

Now I’m intrigue and will have to visit Polpetto and Polpo to see if the older brothers are as good as the two youngest. In conclusion Da Polpo delivered as good as Spuntino, a little bit of déjà vu, in this case a good one, New York not over complicated Italian tasty food style, just another great place.

Wine to share

Make one thing in another fellow blogger

Octopus reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Marine Biologist”.

George: Then of course with evolution the octopus lost the nostrils and took on the more familiar look that we know today. But if you look really closely you can still see a bump where the nose used to be.

Diane: Really?

George: Yeah, but enough about fish I can talk about other things like architecture.