Tipped

very chilled, quite cool

February 04, 2009

I went to the Tapa Room last night with my foodie boyfriend and we both liked it a lot. We like the chilled atmosphere, we liked the casual set-up (long tables - so lots of chatting with people you don't know), very good wine list (a bit on the up market side as they are mostly from New Zealand), and a diverse menu.
It was great to see so many vegetarian options. And each one had a variety of vegetables, which is very rich for me! I had the pumpkin, artichoke, goat cheese something - it was great. The portions are a little smaller than full sized, so a little sharing, a little on your own. No rules apply, you play it by tummy and order as you go along...
And the service was fast and very friendly.
It was a very enjoyable, casual, middle of the week dinner and I am looking forward to taking my sister when she comes for a visit!

Keywords: cuisine: international fusion, vegetarian dishes, mezze & tapas,

Trendy Tapas & wine bar

November 14, 2007

The tapas room on the ground floor of Providores is a great experience. The owners are from New Zealand so there’s a pleasant twist on the typical tapas you get in Spain. You have all the usual one’s such as stuffed peppers, olives, chorizo, Spanish meats and cheeses, but then they also serve edamame and some Indian or Turkish inspired small dishes as well as dishes like salt cod Croquettes or yellowfin tuna with papaya and coconut or New Zealand venison loin with soba noodles or crab Laska. The menu changes all the time so it’s a surprise at what will be offered but it’s always amazing and creative and enough choice to make everyone happy.

The small plates range from £2-£14, but on average are around £8 and they aren’t that small of plates either (not the 2 bite tapas we’re used to). They also have a great wine listand an amazing breakfast menu like grilled chorizo with eggs and beans or their speciality “fry-ups”.

You can’t book a table so oftentimes there’s a wait and the place is cosy so you may sit at the long table down the centre next to other diners. But the vibe is good – they play really good loungy/house music in the background – and the waitstaff are friendly (mostly Kiwi’s) and knowledgeable.

When we lived in Marylebone we were frequenters. It’s one of those places you would just decide to go to the night of and always have a good, intimate time.

Keywords: tapas, Spanish, New Zealand, vegetarian, wine bar, brunch, breakfast