José
I am currently working my way through José's Andalucia cookbook after a wonderful trip to Seville and Granada this Summer, and thought how better to relive the delicious food and beer I had there than at one of the restaurants by Spain's most illustrious of exports to the UK.
Timed perfectly with the close of Summer in London - not stiflingly hot, not breezy enough to warrant a jacket - José's tapas bar in Bermondsey really does feel like stepping across the channel. The daily menu is written on the blackboard out front; take a picture before you are seated, or decide on what you're having in the short time you have to wait. Whatever you have, it's unlikely to disappoint.
I went for the Estrella Damm cerveza, and was very happy to find that it was almost as cold as the beers served in Spain. Not quite, mind you, but close enough. It really should be the norm in the UK to serve beer at ice cold temperatures.
I had a light lunch of patatas bravas (naturally - it's almost obligatory at a non-regional tapas bar) and grilled sardines. The patatas bravas were not bad, though I've certainly had better abroad. The tomato sauce on the potatoes was slightly too bitter for my liking. That being said, the sardines, lightly salted and grilled to perfection, were delicious.
A fine meal at a tapas bar that I recommend for a light lunch or evening meal with friends, I will certainly be sampling more of what José Pizarro has to offer.
Value for Money? £22 for two plates and a beer. Certainly, and you could easily spend more for a delicious feast.
Would I return? I would, and I shall.
