For Authentic Spanish Flavours, Head Over To Tapas Brindisa Soho!

Doesn’t the unpredictable, cold and wet Autumn weather in this country make you want to tuck into some hearty comfort food? Food blogger Raenée @wheretoadventures continues our hunt for comfort food gems across Soho and the West End, with this Spanish tapas favourite…

Photos above: Kai Lutterodt | @the.soho.girl

Tapas Brindisa is the intimate and cosy Spanish tapas restaurant which fulfilled my cravings this season. I accompanied editor Kai, aka The Soho Girl, on her home turf to this exceptional restaurant on the bustling streets of Soho. We were greeted by friendly staff, bright and beautiful interiors, and an open kitchen. There’s something about being able to watch talented chefs at work that enhances the dining experience. It was the perfect setting for autumnal transition into winter dinner.

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The restaurant gets its name, Brindisa, from the word ‘Brindis’ – to raise one’s glass in a toast; In true Brindisa fashion, we began the evening toasting over Cava Sangría and Negroni De Mare. Both cocktails were delicious! Our server recommended three tapas dishes per person to share. Tapas is traditionally a small portion of food served to accompany a drink.

We were recommended the perfect wine – Bico da Ran, 2021 to complement our mostly seafood tapas choices. This wine was just what we needed. It was light, sweet and refreshing on the palette.

My favourite tapas dishes were:
Crema De Bacalao (olive oil whipped salt cod with a sourdough bread – from the November Specials Menu).

Brocoli A La Catalana (tenderstem broccoli, golden raisins, pine nuts, chilli oil). The crunchiness of the pine nuts and sudden sweetness of the raisins, unusually paired with the broccoli, gave my tastebuds a nice surprise.

Tortilla Española (traditional Spanish potato & onion omelette served at ambient
temperature with alioli). Although I’ve had Spanish tapas before this was my first time eating a traditional Spanish omelette. Everything about it was simply perfect – from the flavours, the texture, the accompanying alioli dip.

Gambas Al Ajillo (king prawns, chilli, garlic, olive oil, sourdough). The king prawns were big, juicy and cooked well. A well-balanced and hearty dish.

We also had:
Pulpo A Feira (Galician octopus, potatoes, capers, paprika), Caballa Con Remolacha (mackerel, heritage beetroot salad, Unio muscatel vinegar, tarragon, ajillo), Churros Con Chocolate (classic Spanish sweet snack made from a choux pastry served with an indulgent warm chocolate sauce).

Brindisa has made such an impression on me that I have signed up to their mailing list where their founder Monika Linton shares seasonal recipe ideas!