iberica | Little London Observationist

Whenever my parents come to London, I take them to my favourite restaurants, so this time we ended up at Iberica in Marylebone for some of the best Spanish food we’ve tried in London. (Yes, I know, the second food post in a row…!)

Jorge was there too, of course. He’s the one who introduced me to Iberica back in June when we went for the first time. You may remember the blog post detailing our tipsy lunch. We sat by the bright front windows, mid afternoon with sun pouring in to light up the interior which made for some nice photos.

This time we went for dinner and sat in a cosy area upstairs. It was atmospheric with dim lights (although that didn’t help with the quality of the photos!)

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We settled in with a complimentary bottle of champagne (thanks Iberica!) and picked through the menu. We already knew most of what we planned to order since the food we enjoyed last time was so delicious we wanted more of the same.

We started with olives and bread with olive oil for dipping. Then we shared a board with of three types of jamón, which came from three different areas of Spain, each with slightly different flavours. Following closely behind were the gooey croquetas de jamón with their crisp outer layer. Then we had one of our favourites – pulpo a la Gallega – octopus with potatoes and paprika. Yum!

And what are Spanish tapas without a dish full of pimientos de piquillo? You never know when you might pull out a spicy one! Of course we added a Spanish omelette to the table. We also went for something new: fried chorizo lollypops with pear alioli sauce which were fun to eat and full of flavour.

My mom and I washed it all down with some daiquiris (which came in glasses with the straws “magically” stuck to the condensation on the outside).

Dessert followed. We all shared a tarta de Santiago and a tarta de la abuela.

Not only is the food delicious, but the decor and atmosphere are really inviting and the staff are fun, friendly and attentive. They seem to enjoy their jobs, which makes a difference!

Eventually it was time to head home, but we’ll be back before long, I am sure! Maybe we’ll try the Canary Wharf branch next time…

Leave me your best London restaurant recommendations in a comment, pretty please!

It was back at the beginning of May when Jorge told me he made lunch reservations at Ibérica in Marylebone. He wanted to check out the interior design by Lázaro Rosa-Violán.

I was more interested in the food. And I was not disappointed.

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This was also my first outing with my new little Lumix camera with the 20mm pancake lens and I was itching to try it out. It turned out this same day offered plenty of opportunity, first with Ibérica, then a stroll through Regents Park and then a wander around Little Venice to check out the colourful canal houseboats.

But back to the tapas, which even Jorge, who is Spanish, says are some of the best he’s had in London (even though the size of the servings never compares to those back home).

The outside of the restaurant is a bit nondescript, but the inside is covered in beautiful blue and white tiles and has huge windows that let in tons of natural light.

We sat by a window, which gave us plenty of people watching opportunities and settled in with the menu.

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Jorge ordered wine and I went for a daiquiri. (Oops, drank half before I remembered to take a picture!)

It was prepared by a friendly bartender who was telling me about the day Made in Chelsea came by for a visit to the restaurant.

I think he had fond memories.

We started with a simple plate full of bread and olive oil for dipping.

And the requisite bowl of olives.

Along the bar were beautiful legs of Jamón ibérico which was sliced, very thinly, from the bone.

It added a bit of extra authenticity to the experience.

We had a plate of this mouthwateringly delicious Spanish favourite.

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Then came the Pulpo a la Gallega – octopus with potatoes and paprika. It was unfortunate we had to share as I could have polished off the whole plate quite easily!

Double take – Yum!

But there was more to come with Croquetas de jamón, gooey with their crisp outer later.

When I went to Barcelona with Jorge last year, we ate the popular Pimientos de piquillo. When you bite into these, you never know if you might get a super spicy one – at least in Spain. Here, they were all perfectly edible, juicy and sprinkled with sea salt.

The last tapa we had was Hamburguesas de secreto ibérico, mini hamburgers, which were the only thing that didn’t live up to my expectations. The rest surpassed them.

When the dessert menu arrived, we couldn’t resist sharing a Tarta de Santiago.

While Jorge surveyed the after dinner drinks menu, I had a little tour upstairs to take photos of this area of the restaurant that opens up for special occasions and big groups.

Even the walls behind the glasses had the same blue tiles that decorated the downstairs area.

That night, they were hosting a party of 40 on a long wooden table in the back room.

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In another corner, there was a smaller round table in a private area with standing room for cocktails.

I took plenty of photos.

There’s little trinkets everywhere.

More trinkets.

Spanish magazines.

Wine.

Downstairs, there is a small nook which has one table and it’s surrounded by Spanish books on shelves. It can be booked out if you’re looking for a space that almost feels like you’re dining privately at home.

There’s plenty of attention to detail, even with the bar stools.

The bar itself.

And the wall of wine.

When I came back, there were two drinks at my place – moscatel and pacharán. One was free from the bartender as a gift and the other Jorge had ordered. Both were delicious.

The entire rest of the menu looked tempting, so we will certainly be back!

We left, slightly tipsy, with happy tastebuds and wandered under the London sunshine to a Regents Park in full Spring bloom.

If you’re on the other side of the city, there’s also a branch of Ibérica in Canary Wharf. If you go, let me know how it is. I will undoubtedly be jealous as it’s made my current list of favourite restaurants in London.