Best Tapas Restaurants in South West London and Surrey
Transport yourself to Spain and experience the most divine small plates that London and Surrey have to offer.
By Tara Robinson
Pictured above: Brindisa
1
The Little Taperia
Tooting
143 Tooting High St, SW17 OSY
This wonderful Iberian-inspired tapas bar and restaurant in Tooting was named one of London’s best tapas restaurants by Time Out and Hot Dinners. You can enjoy drinks and snacks at the marble-topped bar, or take a seat at their restaurant for a full meal. Six dishes followed by a cheese board is the recommended amount of menu choices, and their selection ranges from tapas classics like chilli garlic prawns to extravagant dishes like morcilla (Spanish black pudding). Their marinated octopus is absolutely to die for, and they also offer deliciously authentic flavours like chorizo and scotch eggs. Their green-fronted façade provides outdoor dining, and the restaurant’s electric yet relaxed atmosphere is compounded by lovely, friendly staff. A must-visit for any tapas connoisseur.
2
Brindisa
Battersea + Richmond
Battersea Power Station, Unit 25 Circus Road West, SW11 8EZ
5 Whittaker Avenue, Richmond, TW9 1EH
After making its name with award-winning Spanish products, Brindisa has since opened up several dining locations. At their Battersea site, located by the iconic power station, you can enjoy an ‘aperitivo’ at their terreza-style bar which overlooks the river, or take a seat at their dining area and devour your sharing platters with a dynamic view of their open kitchen. Highlights of their menu include the merluza con pisto – slow cooked veg with hake and summer girolles – and the bistec tomahawk with chimicurri. Their Richmond site encapsulates the peaceful cosiness of Richmond: Spanish tiling and pastels open out into intimate booths. For the summer months, they offer an outdoor terraced seating area, replete with gorgeous waterside views. You can also hire out the Bodega Room, where cured Iberan hams and rare Spanish wines fill the space, for tastings and private dining.
3
La Rueda
Clapham
66 Clapham High Street, SW4 7UL
Standing strong for 35 years, La Rueda is one of Clapham’s best restaurants. Warmly-lit and welcoming, the Spanish-style rustic décor of oranges offset by dark wood is equally as transporting as it is eye-catching. Their team now presents a modern new tapas menu inspired by the regional flavours of Galicia, including eggs flamenco, Galician monkfish, and a delightfully flavoursome Galician-style pork fillet. The range of pinchos sliders from the Basque Country offer a taste of Northern Spain – ingredients placed atop a small piece of bread alongside a cocktail stick. With a relaxed, friendly atmosphere and an expertly-crafted menu, La Rueda continually offers up a whole host of Spanish delights.
4
Rincón
Richmond
1 Paradise Road, Richmond, TW9 1RX
Rincon (meaning nook or corner) is aptly-named: found on the corner of a quiet and picturesque street in Richmond, this tapas house proves a truly singular dining experience. Their tapas selection offers a variety of dishes: from succulent Atlantic king prawns to a quail’s egg with chorizo. The extensive wine menu is sourced from the finest British and Spanish suppliers, but it is their G&Ts that Rincon are truly famous for. With seven styles of Spanish gin to choose from, they are all served in the Spanish way: a balloon glass, plenty of ice, a double measure, and a bottle of tonic. Sip your G&T at their window counters and watch the world go by, or take a seat in the restaurant area to enjoy authentic sharing platters.
5
El Pic Tapas Bar
Camberley
177 London Road, Camberley, GU15 3JS
As the longest standing independent restaurant in Camberley, El Pic is a little piece of history. And it’s no wonder they’ve stuck around, with all they have to offer. Here, you can taste your tapas surrounded by funky décor and mood lighting, with delightful Spanish postcards strung up along the bar. Their menu serves a unique blend of classic and modern takes on traditional Spanish cuisine, including a succulent pinchito moruno (aromatic skewered lamb). The El Pic speciality, however, is the gambas en guindilla, a delicious dish of deep fried jalapeno peppers stuffed with king prawns and served with paprika soured cream.
6
The Tapas Room
Tooting
Unit 3, Broadway Market, 29 Tooting High St, SW17 ORJ
This lively, vibrant business has two restaurant locations – one in Tooting’s Broadway Market, and one in Brixton. With a trendy interior decorated in dark blue walls and pale wood floorboards, and a bar offering a stacked selection of drinks, this tapas bar is one to visit if you’re up for a fun night. The menu offers sharing platters of authentic Spanish cured meats and cheeses, and their seasonal tapas dishes include a mouth-watering confit panceta and wonderful pardina lentils with toasted walnuts, which can be served with goats cheese and honey. Their selection of wines, vermouth, and Cava, served by the glass or by the bottle, are also sold at their Spanish wine shops. Great atmosphere and delicious plates make this a tapas bar you won’t want to miss out on.
7
De Nada
Guildford
12A Market Street, Guildford, GU1 4LB
A unique interior strung with boughs of wisteria and a sleek, stylish bar greet you as you enter the award-winning De Nada. Their wonderfully authentic menu includes highlights like seared scallops with romesco sauce and crispy Serrano ham, and don’t forget the De Nada specialty: homemade Spanish meatballs, albondigas. With these traditional dishes, they truly live up to their ethos of bringing a slice of Spanish sunshine to Guildford. Each of their wines are hand-picked to pair excellently with their tapas selections. With great ambience and authentic plates, you’ll find yourself transported to hazy evenings on the Spanish coast.
8
Bar 61
Streatham
61A Streatham Hill, SW2 4TX
An intimate yet extravagant ambience is conjured at this restaurant, with vintage wood-panelled ceilings offset by low-hanging lights and gorgeous red curtains. It’s a family-run restaurant that has been a local staple for 15 years. Known as one of the best restaurants in Streatham, they offer some absolutely delectable cuisine, from larger dishes like trout almandine to tapas delights like pimientos de padron and pollo al ajillo. There is truly something for everyone on this varied menu. You can enjoy a selection of white, sparkling, and red wines alongside your meal, served by excellently attentive staff.
9
Tapajax
Clapham Junction
140 St John’s Hill, SW11 1SL
Authentic cuisine is the name of the game at Tapajax. Their menu ranges from light plates of traditional tortillas and Ibérico acorn-fed ham to larger plates of arroz negro with prawns and squid, and homemade albondigas in spicy tomato sauce. From the dessert selection, the Basque cheesecake served with blueberry puree and vanilla ice cream is a deliciously tempting treat. The list of authentic Spanish wines is extensive, served at the simple yet stylish bar alongside fresh olives to nibble on.
10
Mezzet Dar
Molesey
39 Bridge Road, East Molesey, KT8 9ER
If you’re looking for something a little different, Mezzet Dar serves a unique fusion cuisine of Spanish and Lebanese tapas. Their varied menu offers singular delights like houmous with pulled lamb and a selection of Iberian cured meats served with fresh, crispy bread. You can enjoy this tasty fusion food in a warm and cosy restaurant, decorated to maximise comfort. One wall is entirely made up of bookshelves, another strung with beautiful gold-framed art – as if you are fully transported to a lovely Lebanese living room.
11
Acorn Restaurant
Godalming
10-14 Wharf Street, Godalming, GU7 1NN
This deliciously modern gem is a Spanish fusion restaurant with an Asian influence. Their extensive lunch menu serves an array of delights, such as succulent platters of fritura de pescado: fried fish pieces with black garlic allioli. You can enjoy this with a side selection of house sourdough breads served with whipped olive oil butter alongside choices of chive, chorizo, mackerel or goat’s cheese. From their a la carte menu, the glazed octopus with pureed potato and chorizo oil is divine. They also offer a range of vegetarian choices, from pithivier stuffed with goat’s cheese to wild mushrooms and butternut squash. This absolutely mouth-watering menu is paired with a buzzing atmosphere and excellent service.
12
Pata Negra
Putney
141 Upper Richmond Road, SW15 2TX
Brick walls and a snug bar lend a distinctly cosy yet chic vibe to Pata Negra. The family-owned Spanish restaurant is nestled just a short walk from East Putney tube station. Their tapas menu is seasonal, consistently evolving and dependent on fresh produce. A must-try is their yummy churros – truly some of the best churros in the business. Their late bar is open every Friday and Saturday, providing entertainment, live music, and Flamenco dancing.
