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Dear Ant,


The staff are always very friendly, go and buy Mrs Ant a nice bottle of their Cava - it is very good, and the food very nice indeed. They have a superb selection of puddings.


Do you need a babysitter? Our au pair is free... (I mean has nothing to do - clearly I cannot say she is free of charge! She is very experienced, and has the patience of a saint) I however, actually, am free of charge and free of all commitments! Hell, we could do the gig together if you like?

Mrs Rob and I went there once or twice about four years ago and never really liked it. Service wasn't up to much, food was pretty bland, all that sort of thing. If you want tapas you've got to go the extra mile and make it up to Rebato's. Everywhere else is a bit lame in comparison...

I've been for many a Tapas in London (it always seems like such a good idea at the time) and have generally ended-up disappointed.. I think the only one I've been too which I genuinely thought was a of a 'good restaurant standard' (as opposed to munchable cafe-standard stuff) was the one by Borough Market (Brindisi..? Is that the name?).

MOAN MOAN MOAN (sorry)

I'm going to continue the defence of Barcelona. I've visited there many times, both with big groups and more intimate dinner a deux with Mr Katietatie and have always found it to be brilliant. The staff have an excellent knowledge of the dishes, and the food has always been wonderful when i've visited, even a few days before christmas when the place was heaving. Only complaint is that the tables aren't big enough for all of the plates!:))

I do like the atmosphere in don Felipe, but I've had better Tapas. Unsurprisingly as a Madrile?o it's mostly been in Madrid, but I'd be hard pressed to beat El Rincon Latino off Clapham High St for the genuineness of their product (even if they are Asuturian), the service, the real family concern the whole ideal has and for atmosphere.

Terrific place, but be sure to book at weekends as everyone else clearly loves it too.


Keet, you've put your finger on it. Real tapas originated as being little tiny plates of food plonked on top of your ca?a or glass of beer, with last night's restaurant food served up rewarmed.

This then stretched to being slices of cold meat, sauted kidney etc and has since become a bit more specialized as dedicated small plates of hot and cold bar food.


If you go to Madrid the original concept is still very much on offer (and free) if you avoid the tourist strip (it helps if you speaka da lingo).


Therefore it should be simple and somewhat peasanty. The idea of 'good restaurant standard' (whatever that means) is essentially redundant as it shouldn't be trying to emulate a main meal from these outlets, it should fill a gap between drinks in an earthy and flavoursome manner.

Mockney.. Yes, if you go to Spain (or Italy, for that matter), tasty, simple, good-quality food is given out (for free, or at little cost) as an accompaniment (and and encouragement) to drink. GREAT.

However, here in London, we are mostly talking about restaurants - not bars doing honest nibbles on the side `- such as all the ones mentioned above. And in the majority of these places, by the time you've paid for enough small plates to eat your fill, you're often spending ?25 each on food alone. And for ?25 each, you can eat at some fantastic restaurants London, thus making yer basic meatballs in tomato sauce and garlic prawns seem somewhat less good value.

No no, I agree *Bob* it has become somewhat overwrought, and certainly overpriced. The one on Half Moon Lane is good food but once it's tallied up with a couple of bottles of wine you're talking a serious dent in the wallet.

I was just clarifying a point that Keet quite rightly made.

Well done, Keef and Mockney. I'm glad somebody's got the concept of Tapas right. It's nibbles with your drinks. Something on the side to soak up the alcohol. By the way I can also endorse El Rincon Latino, haven't been there for a while though as Barcelona is down the end of my street and that's very good too and I can just stagger back home afterwards and save myself a cab fare. Cheers. :)-D
On a sort of related point, a friend of mine was running a pub in West Norwood a while ago, and to make it nicer for the customers she'd put bowls of potatoes, onion rings, chicken nuggets and the like out on the bar, which everyone loved. Then health and safety came in and threatened to close her down as she'd cooked it upstairs, not in a proper food kitchen! Bloody shame if you ask me, you can't beat a nice roast potato with your pint! ;-)

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