José Tapas Bar
Bermondsey, London
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The location may be Bermondsey rather than the backstreets of Barcelona, but there’s something ruggedly Spanish about this pint-sized, no-bookings tapas joint from celeb chef José Pizarro. Expect to queue and expect to be hemmed in once you get through the door; it’s usually standing room only around the counter (although there are a few baggable seats for early birds). Your reward for any discomfort is a boisterous down-home vibe and a stonkingly good line-up of Spanish wines and sherries, plus a chalkboard of proper tapas plates with ne’er a dud in sight. All the classics are present and correct, from definitive egg tortilla and punchy croquetas to pan con tomate, but it would be a sin to ignore some of the more specialist platefuls – perhaps earthy lentils with chorizo, squid dressed with jalapeño-spiked pico de gallo or the sweet-savoury temptations of fried goat’s cheese with honey. If more sweetness is called for, look no further than the ubiquitous cream catalana. The wine list is an oenphile’s tour of the Spanish regions, with everything available by the glass for inquisitive tasting; otherwise, goblets of G&T, rosada spritz and bottles of cerveza help to banish any thoughts of mañana.
