As my ‘birthday month’ continued, I was lucky enough to have yet another trEat at the newly opened Bilbao Berria in London. Ze German was lovely enough to pick this fantastic new home of the authentic Pintxo (pronounced ‘pincho’) from a shortlist of restaurants I had provided so that he didnt have to stress about where to go (he loves food, and me, but hates looking up anything!) One of the main reasons that this was an especially clever pick, was that we are planning a road trip through the Basque country later this summer! So this was the perfect prelude to all the gastronomic experiences to come! (Lookout in Sept for that post! – and if you have recommendations – send a message!)
Some background on the restaurant: The original restaurant of the same name was established in beautiful Barcelona in 1999 by both Basques and Catalans (controversial! Just kidding) to have a place of authentic Northern Spanish cuisine in the city that has the best of everything. The London branch is run by Ash Mair (of Masterchef 2011 fame).
As we entered the lower Regents Street venue, I felt transported to España. Everything was wooden and natural looking, with the arty-ness of Barcelona. A cured iberico ham loin and accompaniments sat just inside the entrance and the bar was covered with pintxos (literally meaning ‘spike’ for the cocktail stick holding it all together). This was looking very authentic already; so far so good.
As we had arrived a little early for our reservation in the lower ground floor restaurant, we opted to sit at a ‘barrel’ and have a drink and take in the surroundings. Ze German went for beer from the tap and I went for a surprise cocktail courtesy of the waiter’s expertise. I was asked what kind of cocktail I liked (not sour, not too sweet…) and he surprised me with something called ‘Tony el Sexy’ which is rum and a mish mash of fruit juices. It was pretty and I liked their enthusiasm, but for me it tasted a tad like vermouth (think it was the grapefruit) which I don’t love, so I probably wont go for it again.
It was also great that as you sit, chat, sip and take in the atmosphere, like a real old school Spanish bar, they come and offer you pintxos to nibble on. There are various stories about the history of the pintxo. The one I like best, is that to avoid having paralytics for patrons, bar staff would put little plates of food on top of the (beer) glass so that you had to eat in between – clever. This tradition apparently continues to this day, where you take your plates and pay at the end for them. We didn’t want to spoil our appetites so had to decline most of what was on offer, although it looked great. We did indulge in a cod fritter – yum! (We also sampled a chicken skewer, which was unfortunately not as appealing – the flavour was good but cooked too quickly, it was a bit chewy).
In the main dining room with a view of the kitchen, the culinary Basque journey began. It was superb from start to finish. We shared a carafe of delicious red wine – recommended by our waitress who was incredibly sweet.
We started with the pan con tamate, everyone’s Iberian staple.
Then came one of my absolute favourites – Pulpo. The octopus was perfectly cooked, and the mousse-like aoli was to die for. Do not leave this place without trying!
The tortilla de bacalao (cod) was again, perfect. Not the heavy potato you normally get, very elegant.
Next came the Carrilleras de buey (braised beef cheek and parsnip – without pancetta for me). Again this was indisputably exquisite. The meat just melts in your mouth and the flavours were perfectly chosen for the dish.
We were feeling pretty stuffed by this time (funny now slow eating and quality ingredients make such a difference in becoming full), so we went for dessert. I ALWAYS have room for dessert but we all know that Spanish desserts don’t often wow the palate (creme catalana etc). And as Ze German loves his cheese, we decided to go for the cheese sampler (Basque sheep, ewe, goat, blue cheeses with grapes, nuts and quince) which came with a birthday wish (“lets come here again!”).
I really enjoyed this place and have no doubt that I will be back, probably with even more friends to share the joy. I see us dropping in on the ground floor for a drink and some snacks as the perfect summer stop, whilst in the west end of London. And when the ladies room even has fresh flowers and a hair dryer… well I could make this a real F1 pitstop to refresh, refuel and beautify!
