Authentic and affordable tapas in the heart of Mayfair...
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I’m only just back from two of my favourite cities - Malaga & Cadiz - and still high on the glorious flavours of sizzling gambas & oozing tortillas when I pull up a chair in one of London’s longest-standing tapas bars – El Pirata in Mayfair, recently named by First Dates star Fred Sirieix as one of his favourite places to eat in London.
So, can a tapas bar deep in the heart of London’s swankiest neighbourhood really achieve that effortless mix of charm, warmth and buzz that the Spanish enjoy on every street corner? Moreover, can somewhere that attracts celebrity endorsements aplenty – Johnny Depp is another fan – have something to offer those of us with shallower pockets?
Sam Laurie
A glance at its Google reviews and its longevity – this year it celebrates its 31st birthday – suggests it’s doing something right.
Founded in the mid-90s at a time when tapas bars were a rarity in London, this Madrileno institution has steered a steady course – simple, well-priced classic tapas, nothing fancy, just easy sharing food with a friendly, low-key vibe. It’s a formula that’s seen the bar through three decades of peaks and troughs in the hospitality world.
El Pirata
First impressions
On a Friday lunchtime, the main dining room is three-quarters full with a buzzy mix of office workers and regulars and a smattering of tourists.
Fred’s ringing endorsement has certainly helped raise its profile – as former maitre d’ of neighbouring Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows he knows a thing or two about eating out – but in truth, El Pirata has been a deserved regular on the capital’s top tapas bar listings since it opened.
The main dining room, with its Tudor beams and black and white Spanish prints on the walls, is warm, welcoming and alive with chatter; the small black-topped tables are set simply with paper napkins, paper menus and nice glasses.
Downstairs, there are bigger tables for larger groups, more space, but less buzz.
Sam Laurie
The tapas
“Don’t order the tortilla, just don’t! You always order a tortilla!” Whoops, ordered it. I can’t help it.
When it arrives, we both admire it - it’s a gloriously fluffy, golden-topped orb, runny still in the centre, caramelised onions giving off that sweet scorch. It’s as good as I’ve been eating in Malaga – and at £6.50, very good value for London.
We tuck in with two glasses of very mellow Albariño (£11 each).
Next comes a plate of meaty and fresh boquerones (£7.70) and pimentos de padron (£7.30), most are nicely salted and browned, but a few outliers could have done with longer in the pan.
Having disappointed the lovely restaurant manager Pepe by failing to take up his suggestion of a plate of Bellota Jamón – the uniquely flavoured hand-carved ‘cinco jotas’ ham from free-roaming, acorn-eating black Iberian pigs, a speciality much prized by El Pirata regulars (£30) – we follow his fish recommendations to the letter.
El Pirata
First up is the bunuelos de gambas or prawn fritters (£12.75) – a generous plate of six globes of lightly battered minced prawn, crispy and delicious. Then, gambas al ajillo (£9.70) five chunky prawns cooked in oil, not as spicy as their pil pil cousins, but with lots of lovely garlic slices.
Finally, the stand-out dish: a beautifully served plate of black creamy arroz negro with squid and saffron alliolo, deeply rich in flavour. It tastes like the sea, we both agree.
Sam Laurie
Between us, we’ve eaten five tapas; perhaps we could have managed one or two more. Marinated cod cheeks (£12.75) or grilled seabass with spicy mojo rojo (£19.50) both sound deliciously tempting. One or both…? Ah, decisions. But the moment is lost when the waitress appears with suggestions for dessert.
Dessert
Tarte Santiago, traditional Galician cake made with almonds (£10) hits the spot perfectly. With it, we order a plate of Spanish cheeses with quince jelly, which at £13 is a generous serving of four different cheeses for two.
On cue, the charming Pepe returns with two glasses of Santalba las Flores, a beautifully light dessert wine (£12 a glass) from the restaurant’s 140-bottle-strong cellars.
Sam Laurie
Verdict
Friendly, warm and welcoming with reasonable prices and good traditional classics, it’s a joy to see such an unassuming place survive – and thrive - in this super expensive area. Buen provecho!
