We've got the food blues having been so sorely disappointed with Italian tapas at Polpo earlier in the day. We thought that a drink at Bob Bob Ricard would go some way to make things better but alas, they were closed; it doesn't seem to be our day. And so it was, that scouting around for 'one for the road', we come across Tierra Brindisa, a small but attractive Spanish tapas bar. Peering through the windows, the venue looks nice, the guests look happy and we see a corner nook that seems to suit our needs; a Rioja beckons.
A full leg of ham sits behind the bar and is carved to order, with the wine, it seems like another good idea. We further peruse the menu come place mats on the table and more good ideas come to mind. Good ideas like ham and chicken croquettes, deep fried Monte Enebro goats cheese with honey and roasted peppers and prawns al ajillo. We settle in.
No sooner does the food arrive than our blues begin to lift, it is simply fantastic. This is exactly how this should be done and puts our earlier meal to shame. The seasoning is spot on, the taste is spot on and each dish delivers on the promise of its menu description.
The padron peppers and the picos de pan both make excellent starting nibbles while the toasted bread with tomato takes us right back to our Catalan trips at the end of last year. Indeed, throughout the meal the food tastes totally authentic and indistinguishable from what we ate in Spain (it's actually better than some rememberances).
The Iberico de bellota ham is not cheap at £20 a plate but it is of exceptional quality. The plate, generously laden to start cleared rapidly and it was so enjoyed we felt compelled to order a second plate which was similarly dispatched. We talked of buying a whole ham for home such was our enjoyment.
We loved it all and looked forward to each new plate arriving wondering what was in store for us despite our growing fullness. We had almost forgotten about the deep fried Monte Enebro goats cheese layered in honey. Delivered last, it was again exceptional so that even though it seemed too much at this point, the cheese delivered a continued satisfaction with each and every mouthful. Sometimes you have to force yourself.
The only disappointment came with desserts. The crema catalana was burnt on top and the taste of burn ultimately dominated each mouthful while the vanilla ice cream, though soft and creamy, was perhaps a little over sweet. The desserts though are totally forgiven because Tierra Brindisa delivered what Polpo failed to: an exciting regional tapas feast.
A full leg of ham sits behind the bar and is carved to order, with the wine, it seems like another good idea. We further peruse the menu come place mats on the table and more good ideas come to mind. Good ideas like ham and chicken croquettes, deep fried Monte Enebro goats cheese with honey and roasted peppers and prawns al ajillo. We settle in.
No sooner does the food arrive than our blues begin to lift, it is simply fantastic. This is exactly how this should be done and puts our earlier meal to shame. The seasoning is spot on, the taste is spot on and each dish delivers on the promise of its menu description.
The padron peppers and the picos de pan both make excellent starting nibbles while the toasted bread with tomato takes us right back to our Catalan trips at the end of last year. Indeed, throughout the meal the food tastes totally authentic and indistinguishable from what we ate in Spain (it's actually better than some rememberances).
The Iberico de bellota ham is not cheap at £20 a plate but it is of exceptional quality. The plate, generously laden to start cleared rapidly and it was so enjoyed we felt compelled to order a second plate which was similarly dispatched. We talked of buying a whole ham for home such was our enjoyment.
We loved it all and looked forward to each new plate arriving wondering what was in store for us despite our growing fullness. We had almost forgotten about the deep fried Monte Enebro goats cheese layered in honey. Delivered last, it was again exceptional so that even though it seemed too much at this point, the cheese delivered a continued satisfaction with each and every mouthful. Sometimes you have to force yourself.
The only disappointment came with desserts. The crema catalana was burnt on top and the taste of burn ultimately dominated each mouthful while the vanilla ice cream, though soft and creamy, was perhaps a little over sweet. The desserts though are totally forgiven because Tierra Brindisa delivered what Polpo failed to: an exciting regional tapas feast.
Padron peppers
Picos de pan
Toasted bread with tomato
Iberico de bellota ham
Octopus a la gallega
Ham and chicken croquetas
Prawns al ajillo
Iberico pork fillet with sage, morcilla de Burgos and apple puree
Deep fried Monte Enebro goats cheese with honey and roasted peppers
Crema catalana
vanilla ice cream
While Tierra Brindisa has enjoyed some favourable reviews, it hardly enjoys a fanfare and was not on the agenda for the day. Had Polpo delivered a decent meal or BBR been open for a drink, we never would have walked in off the street and discovered the joys of this fantastic little tapas bar. We're glad we did, it's a gem, and if you are in the mood for tapas, you could do much worse than giving Tierra Brandisa a call.
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