London Restaurant Review: Authentic Tapas at Boqueria, Brixton

I never really go to Brixton, even though loads of my friends are cool enough to live there, and frankly, it has become one of the absolute must-visit foodie destinations in London. Brixton Village is packed to the brim with culinary delights, and many of them will be a complete bargain. But…I am a north-of-the-river kind of gal even if, when it’s sunny, wandering around Brixton kind of makes me feel like I’m on holiday.

My lovely friend Nicky (who also came to BRGR.CO a few weeks ago) is one of these cool types who lives in the area, and he’s been telling me about an incredible tapas place near his house that we simply had to go to. Nicky spent six months studying in Barcelona when he was at Uni (alright for some…) and subsequently speaks perfect Spanish so when it comes to this sort of food, I trust his judgment implicitly, although

We walked in from the blistering wind to be greeted by the cheerful Spanish Manager who led us to our table in this buzzy local restaurant. Boqueria is named after one of the most spectacular foodie markets I’ve ever been to, set just off La Rambla in Barcelona, and beautiful photographs of the famous market’s produce line the walls.

I let Nicky choose the food as, like I said, he knows his stuff. He promised to go for authentic Spanish dishes I might not order myself but knew I would love. Our cheerful (also Spanish) waitress dropped some truly tasty olives and a beautiful bottle of Spanish Rioja on our table before the rest began to arrive.

We kicked things off with some Boquerones en Vinagre (fresh anchovies in vinaigrette). I have to say I normally hate anchovies, but these had soft, white flesh unlike the brown ones you get on pizza and were delicate. Next up was Pan con tomate (bread with tomato, garlic and olive oil) which sounds pretty basic, but I am a firm believer that simple food made with brilliant ingredients will always be the best, and this was an excellent example of exactly that.

Delicious hand carved Iberian ham and tender juicy Calamares were brought over along with aubergine cannelloni with goat’s cheese and mushrooms. Goat’s cheese is one of my favourite things in the whole wide world, so this was a standout dish for me. I would return for this alone – along with the grilled prawns which we greedily peeled and were so fresh they made me feel like I was back in the Mediterranean. As a side we had chosen some salted peppers. Nicky told me that supposedly, each portion of these traditionally conceals one burning hot pepper. We nervously took turns as we bit into them, but luckily for us, the chefs had spared us the pain and we enjoyed every last one.

Even though we had eaten more than enough, I have a terrible sweet tooth and am never one to pass on pudding, especially when there is the option to pair it with lush, Spanish dessert wine. We took the waitresses recommendation and first chose something that, despite not sounding particularly appetising, was delicious and moreish: cubes of fried milk dusted with cinnamon. I would never have chosen this myself but am glad we did as it was similar to creamy, sugary panacotta. Finally, we shared the cheesecake with raspberry marmalade which we both agreed was one of the best we had ever tasted – mainly due to the indulgent buttery base.

After being handed a traditional grape liqueur by the manager, we decided to call it a night and head home, satisfied and happy.

The food here really was fantastic, healthy, and well worth the trip to Brixton if this is not one of your locals already. Everything about Boqueria feels authentic; from the dishes that seem like the chefs stole the recipes from their grandmas’ regular repertoire (fried milk cubes!!?), to the feisty and warm Spanish staff. If you’re looking for good tapas in London? This is it.
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The Tapas dishes are priced at £4 – £8 depending on what you order, and I think this is excellent value for the quality of the produce, and the love with which the food is obviously prepared. Apparently there are plans to open other sites and even a relaxed deli, where you can drink coffee and then take home some of the ingredients they use. Watch this space… we can’t wait!
 

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Boqueria can be found at:
192 Acre Lane
London
SW2 5UL
020 7733 4408