Restaurants

Shrewd shoppers at Portobello Market nip into García for a lunch break. The café arm of the Spanish groceries importer (supermarket adjacent) is hard to beat for a filling snack or quick coffee. The bright, modern eaterie is often peaceful and quiet, even when the market outside is bustling – surprising, given the high standard of hot and cold tapas, coffees, drinks and pastries here. All the food available on a given day is displayed in a counter at the front. The selection of tortillas, empanadas and salads is often accompanied by a paella or, as on our most recent visit, a fideuá (a similar pan-cooked dish that uses a kind of noodle instead of rice). None of the food is complicated, and some of it may be heated upon order in the microwave (as it often is in Spain), but it’s all fresh and invariably tasty. The variety of cakes, pastries and biscuits is first-rate. Spanish coffees, soft drinks, beer and even the much-loved hot chocolate Cola Cao are among the liquid offerings.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008