Like Jack I've been busy with work so have missed my weekly post but I'm back and ready to live again. Jack is the true Spanish lover amongst us - from the language to the food, she's the expert. So whenever I am eating Spanish I always think of her and wonder what she would think and how she would order the dishes in her perfect Spanish. This post is my pick of 3 excellent Spanish places in London and is dedicated to Jack. Apologies for the lack of pictures but I promise this won't happen too much in the future now as I have started carrying a camera with me everywhere like a true blogger.Lola Rojo
One of my top 3 local picks, Lola Rojo on Northcote Rd was the first restaurant I wanted to try when we moved to Clapham. We weren't disappointed - the food is modern tapas with dishes such as cod with black pudding (my favourite) or chorizo lollipops, and traditional dishes such as the very nicely done patatas bravas. The smallish restaurant is always full at dinner and there are some outdoor bar seats perfect for a nice bottle of Spanish wine and some manchego cheese. I promise you will love it!
Camino
I went to the Kings Cross branch of Camino (the other one is at Canary Wharf) - it's in a great space perfect for a bit of a party and night out. I went with a work group on recommendation from Laura, a work colleague from Madrid. Based on this I knew the food would be good and it was. The jamon, chipirones and chuleton a la panilla (Basque style rib eye steak) were all tasty with some very reasonable prices. Add to this a lively atmosphere with a busy bar and DJs on the weekends, Camino is a great choice for a fun night with fab food to match.
Barrafina
Barrafina is a small tapas bar in Soho which features daily specials of fresh seafood that you can see on display before it is cooked for you. The jamon is also sliced is straight from the leg in front of you and is up there as some of the best I have ever had. We had the platter to share which was all good although the lomo did stand out. We also had the biggest, and most expensive at £7.80 EACH, fresh prawns and a lovely soft shell crab which was so fresh. Chorizo and potato was a filling staple and the chipirones was light and tasty. Along with a great bottle of white wine and some desserts, Barrafina is worth visiting if you can brave the queues (and some of the prices). Note: there is only bar seating at the bar so the maximum group size is 4 with no reservations.
What: Spanish tapas at Lola Rojo, Camino or Barrafina
Where: Battersea or Fulham; King's Cross or Canary Wharf; Soho
How much: Barrafina is the most expensive, marginally more than Lola Rojo, Camino is best value.
Muchas gracias Jess! Hope we can eat some tapas when I come to London, I always think back to those tiny chipirones we had in Barcelona, what I wouldn't give to go back there with you! Usted es el mejor hermana del mundo :)
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