If Tapas Revolution at Westfield London was in Barcelona, it would be absolutely rammed. Is it a British reserve that prevents diners from eating at the bar alongside other shoppers? Probably. Anyway, their new menu dropped about a month ago and it’s worth abandoning any shyness you may have. Pull up a seat and get involved, because this is next-level tapas.
All the dishes are freshly prepared, so there’s a short wait while we down a couple of generous cocktails – a very zesty, zingy Mojito and a thirst-quenching Vuelve Al Paraiso mocktail (lime juice, pineapple juice, lemonade and blue caracao), and then the tapas train starts up.
First up is a trio of beauties – croqueta de pescado, which looks like a jumbo arancini ball, filled with salted cod, topped with a king prawn and served with a serrano alioli and lemon, their signature croquetas de jamon y cerdo – jamon Iberico and pork belly croquetas with Manchego cheese and – my favourite of the three – a delicious tostados de atun, Galician tuna and marinated avocado garnished with coriander and lime dressing, toasted sesame seed and crispy onion.
The beef slider was a game-changer and may now be my favourite burger in town. A thick, juicy patty of minced Galician beef is married with mouth-watering BBQ chorizo and Mahon a la plancha cheese and membrillo alioli to make a meal in itself. And unlike so much chorizo which can be disconcertingly chewy, this is beautifully smooth and flavourful. Top drawer.
To be honest, I feared we had peaked too early (in between the croquetas and the beef slider, to be precise) and would struggle with the main – Arroz de Cerdo … a hotpot of rice cooked in rioja wine stock with pork belly, chorizo, black pudding and sobrasoda. I didn’t want to let the side down and not leave an empty dish and the texture and tastes made sure I wouldn’t. It’s a rich, heady, melt-in-the-mouth mix that’s just enough for two without leaving you full to bursting.
Omar Allibhoy, the chef and founder behind Tapas Revolution, launched his first restaurant at Westfield in 2011 and 12 years on this new menu is a tribute to his attention to taste and quality. Highly recommended.
Related: Greggs launches first ‘fine dining’ bistro in Newcastle