As you already know, I have been to a few Spanish restaurants near me during the past year. This time I got the chance of visiting a very critically acclaimed tapas bar in central London. Pizarro’s restaurant is a hidden gem of Spanish cuisine in the area of Southwark.
The space is intimate, cosy and welcoming, perfect for any type of occasion from a casual friend’s reunion or family meeting to a birthday party or business dinner. The dark wood, the blue and white tiles and the jamones hanging from the walls give it a very rustic feel.
At the front of the eatery you will find a long bar with seating looking onto St Mary Magdalen’s church. Sit here whilst enjoying a nice drink from their range of Spanish wines accompanied by some nibbles. Walk a bit further in and you will find the main seating area with tables for small parties and booths for larger groups. The eatery also has an open kitchen which allows you to see how the cooks prepare and plate the dishes.
My friends and I got there quite early as we arranged to meet just after a few of them got out of work. Upon arrival, only one table in the restaurant was taken up by a group of diners. Nonetheless, by 7 o’clock it started filling up quite quickly. Hearing the chefs, as well as many people dining at the tapas bar speaking Spanish was a very good sign and, for a moment, it made me feel as if I were in Spain itself.
We started off with a few snacks from their pica pica list. Padrón peppers, sourdough bread with olive oil, marinated olives and a plate of jamón ibérico 5J well-worth the £27, made for the ideal starters. Personally, I would have gone for the pan con tomate (bread spread with tomato) instead of the plain bread, especially when accompanied by jamón. However, this time my friends preferred ordering the latter. In addition, I would like to have tried the croquetas which I caught a glimpse of before they were served at another table.
In order to savour more dishes we also decided to share the mains. The black pudding made with rice was very particular. This was served with baby cuttlefish, pieces of apple and squid ink poured on top.
The Presa Ibérica, acorn fed Ibérico pork, is perfect to share and comes with three vegetable side dishes: roast new potatoes, roasted red bell peppers and chantenay carrots. We also liked the sound of the courgette salad topped with manchego cheese, so we added it as an extra to our list of sides. The meat was served pink and was extremely tender and juicy. This product is sold by weight starting at £16 for 100g.
Without a doubt, the main dish of the night was the arroz con carabineros. This melt-in-the-mouth rice dish was my favourite of all. The texture and flavour were outstanding and pleasingly authentic. This restaurant is worth visiting simply for this house special.
Regarding drinks, I decided to start off the night with a chilled Estrella Damm beer and later on switched to Verdejo, a crisp and light white wine. The rest of the table went for red wine to accompany their food.
Once we finished our meal we lingered around chatting until we finally moved to the bar-style seats for some cocktails and pudding. Whilst all my friends chose the chocolate pot, I went for my personal favourite: the cheesecake with wild berries. This was absolutely fantastic, warm and soft, with a very unique taste because of the combination of strong cheese and sherry.
The whole meal came to a total of £72 per head. Although it may seem pricey, if you take into consideration the quantity and quality of the food as well as the location of the restaurant, it is not that expensive. I don’t tend to visit places this up market but luckily, dinner that night was courtesy of my uncle and aunt.
If you are ever in London and want to treat yourself to top quality Spanish food and drinks, José Pizarro’s restaurant is the ideal place. However, if you are looking for a Spanish restaurant in Bournemouth, read my latest review of Lolas, the best tapas bar in the area.
Do you have a go-to place for Spanish food? If so, leave a comment and I will try to check it out!
Where to munch 