FOOD: PINCHITOtapas

(Reviewed by Eden Carter Wood)

You may not know this about me, but I work and live (sort of) on the Northern line. Well, the Northern line and then a bus. Conveniently enough for me last Wednesday evening, there is a PINCHITOtapas a mere hop, skip and jump from Tottenham Court Road tube station. Location, as they say, is everything.

We were very warmly welcomed and our first impressions were that the restaurant is popular without being jammed and has a friendly, casual atmosphere. The waiting staff, I have to say, were amazing; friendly, efficient and best of all, seemed to enjoy being at work. Wonders will never cease. Also the music was good.



We started with a cocktail – a vodka txoice for my good friend Sylvia and a rum txoice for me, both £6.50. Nice big glasses, plenty of ice and really good. ‘Very refreshing,’ Sylvia noted approvingly.

Then the tapas began arriving. Garlic chicken skewers were good, as were the Albondigas (meatballs). The baby squid with parsley oil was lovely and fresh, and the deep-fried brie with tomato marmalade was very good, but then what’s not to like about fried cheese? I hope I don’t make Sylvia and I sound greedy when I mention that the prawns with artichoke, pepper and serrano salad were tasty and that we also very much enjoyed the dates, hazelnuts and bacon with cheese dip (for want of a better word) and mango sauce. This was very rich and intense and quite possibly our favourite dish of the evening.

Being hard-working women who deserve to relax after a long day at our respective offices, Sylvia and I went for another cocktail. And then I had a third, because I wanted to be thorough. The bourbon and vanilla was really good. I know that because I put five little ticks in a row in my notebook. The gin txoice with kiwi and lemongrass and the tequila with passionfruit were also well received; I wrote simply: ‘amazing’. Which is high praise indeed.

Finally we tried two things from the sweet tapas menu, the Cake of the Day, a cold, creamy rice pudding with cinnamon, and a slice of Santiago Almond Cake, both £3, and both really good.

I’m no tapas connoisseur, despite what you may have heard, but I was very impressed by the food and even more so by the atmosphere. I’d recommend PINCHITOtapas on the basis of our visit; head there with a few friends and be sure to try the date and hazelnuts with bacon… it really is a treat.

NB: They also have paella master classes: check the website!

PINCHITOtapas

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