Small Plate Heaven!

This is the dream of all the world. The dream is to live in Granada. You know, work in the morning, have a one-hour in the afternoon, at night go out and have that life. You know. Go out and see your friends and eat tapa and drink red wine and be in a beautiful place.

Anthony Bourdain

Well, fingers crossed it looks as though we might be able to get back inside pubs and restaurants from Monday, there’s a small fly in the ointment relative to the Indian version of the virus but for now, it looks like we can enjoy the atmosphere of our local restaurants.

With that in mind and, as I’ve not done a post like this in ages, I wanted to do a bit of a restaurant guide! One of the things I love and one of the things I’ve not written about before is my love of picking at small plates of food, my idea of culinary heaven is a small, intimate tapas restaurant however, Spain doesn’t have the monopoly on small plates, here’s five of my favs!

Chicama

Chelsea’s Chicama is a lovely restaurant named after a coastal town in Peru. Unlike its sister, Chicama is meat-free, focusing instead on fish served small plates-style. Seafood is delivered daily from Cornwall and given a South American twist – the squid is marinated in garlic and aji panca, for instance, while the trout is cooked in banana leaf and served with red quinoa. But there are also plenty of delicious, flavoursome vegetarian options, like the fried aubergines with plantain miso and the smoked mushroom ceviche with ceps tiger’s milk, yummy! Don’t knock the tapioca marshmallows before you’ve tried them: made without eggs or sugar, these bitesize snacks have the texture of fluffy marshmallows but the flavour of cheese – they’re made with deep-fried parmesan, and served with a chilli sauce. Pisco Sours are the natural drink of choice, though the Spicy Margarita shouldn’t be overlooked.

Larry’s

Larry’s in Peckham was open for just two days when lockdown struck back in March last year, oops! It survived The Big Pause, however, and has just relaunched, yay!! Specialising in small, shareable plates inspired by the corner bars, diners and cafes of New York, Larry’s is a coffee shop, restaurant and bar all rolled into one; expect coffee and pastries in the morning, hefty deli-style sandwiches at lunchtime and a concise but perfectly formed menu of sharing plates for dinner.

Don’t miss the signature nduja focaccia, steeped in spicy, sausage-y oil, or the crispy potato latkes with tasty fermented chilli mayo. It’s also worth ordering one each of the pork schnitzel with red cabbage and gochujang – trust me, you won’t want to share. This is sophisticated food, served in a funky, chilled-out space. Now, you could say to yourself, how can this be a favourite when she’s not been there, well, their sister restaurant, Levan, is a real favourite of mine and the chef from there is now at Larry’s, I was really looking forward to going last March but the rest is history!

Uli

Tucked behind Notting Hill Gate on Ladbroke Grove, just before the road winds through West London’s leafiest neighbourhood is the local favourite, ULI. If you fancy fresh, healthy and flavour-loaded Asian food spanning Malay, Singaporean, Chinese and Thai disciplines in a laid-back setting, this is where to come. Not only is the menu MSG-free, all the dishes are made from scratch, even the stock. And wow does it shine through, from the crispy aromatic duck pancakes to the asparagus with black bean, chilli and ginger, this restaurant is a much-needed reminder that healthy eating need not be confined to the overpriced orbit of almond butter balls, kale salads and culinary gloom. It can be a rich, hearty and inclusive affair.

Tamarind Kitchen

This is the sister restaurant of the very opulent, Michelin star restaurant of the same name. It’s much more relaxed here. Exotic small plates to start, from lighter Mango and Avocado Salad to heartier Tandoori lamb Sheekh Kebabs come in small or regular sized portions. The Lotus Root Kebab with dates and plum chutney is highly recommended, as is their carefully curated wine list. Those resolute on a curry can start light and graduate to the ‘Late Arrivals’ section where they’ll find familiar favourites such as Kerala Prawn Curry, Chicken Chettinad Biryani or Nizami Vegetable Kofta curry (the vegetable dumplings in this dish are to die for!!). The warm welcome you receive as you enter the restaurant is as sweet and refreshing as the Gulab Jamun Indian milk dumpling pudding.

For those die-hard Spanish tapas faithful, you’re really spoiled for choice in London, even some of the chains make excellent, tasty plates however, my favourite Spanish tapas place is;

Boqueria

I think this is a chain of at least two in London however, I’m only familiar with the one in Brixton. Named after Barcelona’s famous food market, this much-loved Spanish bolthole combines traditional tapas with a few more upbeat contemporary ideas. Expect a laid-back vibe, flamenco on the sound system, photos of market scenes on the walls and lovely, knowledgeable staff in full cry, plus a roll call of real-deal Iberian ingredients given decent rather than dazzling treatment. Bring back memories of that Spanish holiday with some classic patatas bravas, croquetas, tortilla and boquerones, or trade up to something more ambitious – perhaps lamb confit with caramelised figs, cucumber and mint raita or tuna carpaccio dressed with garlic, almond, tomato and soy sauce. There’s a buzzy bar area downstairs – handy if you’re looking to hire the spot for a private bash.

What’s on this week?