El Pirata de Tapas

My companion and I arrived at the restaurant to be met by the staff with large grins on their faces. We soon found out the reason why. El Pirata de Tapas had received a top-rate review, which had been published on the day we visited. It was from Giles Coren, a man famously quick to ire. He had accidentally washed up there rather than at his planned assignment down the road and had been pleasantly surprised.

No wonder the staff couldn’t stop beaming that Saturday when my companion and I went to try the new seasonal menu of head chef Omar Allibhoy. We’d just thought we were special.

While the lunch time service was quiet, the tempo was right for the restaurant’s muted décor of black wood, amber lights and walls of sherry bottles.

My vegetarian friend had moaned before we arrived that tapas were usually too meaty. But she seemed very happy with her pisto – slow cooked vegetable stew, endives with valdeon cheese foam and grilled asparagus with manchego. The foam was a little excitable, I thought, but the firm asparagus spot on.

I’d chosen the stunning-looking octopus carpaccio, mandarin caviar and paprika, whose cream octopus slivers were smeared with blazes of flaming paprika and orange pearls. It didn’t taste quite as vibrant as looks promised but the parsnip purée – which accompanied the six-hour roasted pork belly with red wine pear – was delightful, bursting with wonderful honeycomb and almond flavours.

We had a good Spanish omelette – perfectly gooey in the middle, and a lovely tower of fried potato, scrambled egg and garlicky prawns. The Serrano ham croquettes were cute, though nothing fancy. And I was still going with the generous helping of paprika crispy fried squid after two hours.

What was best was that El Pirata had created hearty, tasty food with the most basic of ingredients – just as tapas should be. No need for frippery or delicate flounces with this rustic grub, perhaps excepting the foam. We don’t know if they’re still smiling but a purposeful visit, I’m sure, will reward as much as a serendipitous one.

El Pirata de Tapas
115 Westbourne Grove
Notting Hill
W2 4UP

Tel: 020 7727 5000