Sabor

Another month, another Michelin star to visit in London. This time, I spent a Friday lunchtime at The Counter at the one-star Sabor. Sabor opened in 2017 after Nieves Barragan-Mohacho (then executive chef at Barrafina) decided to start her own venture, once again focused on bringing Spanish specialties to the capital. The Counter is a walk-in only affair, where Galician and Castilian dishes are on offer, while the upstairs El Asador is more rustic, but no less serious. Here, the segovian suckling pig is the star of the show. Sibilance.

My first tapa were the piquillo croquetas, which had manchego cheese liberally shaved over them. The fried outer casing of the croquetas were crunchy but so light and delicate. Exceptional croquetas in terms of structure, the richness of the piquillo paste filling carrying through, though it could have benefitted from a little more acidity.

I then had the txistorra tortilla, txistorra being a Spanish paprika sausage. This was masterful, in the sense that a great degree of attention has to be given to get this right. The outer shell of the tortilla is thin but crispy, with the innards still being runny. A delightful dish that also looks the part.

My final savoury dish was the arroz negro (black rice) with monkfish tempura and aioli, pictured top. Again, it is immediately noticeable how delicate the frying of the monkfish tempura was, in order to create such a light yet crispy batter. The black rice was rich and adept at hiding the secret pieces of seafood scattered throughout, which predominantly added a toothsome textural element. Another fine dish.

Finally, I had the bomba de trés chocolates, which are round dough balls alternately filled and coated with different types of chocolate, as well as pistachio. Incredibly decadent, as a chocolate lover it is impossible to not enjoy this dessert.

Overall, Sabor creates pleasing tapas dishes that are steeped in tradition. Staff are friendly and the busyness of the counter makes for a lively and enjoyable experience. My main criticism of the food is how one-note it is; the dishes, while pleasing and clearly well-made, never really transcend one or two flavour notes. More spice and acidity across the board would be welcome.

Value for money? £80 for four courses include still water and service charge. It's not awful, but there's cheaper for better out there.

Would I return? I would, but not before many other restaurants.