Restaurants

APRIL 2009: This restaurant is closed until further notice, according to their website.

This exceptional tapas joint next to Twickenham station is run by chef John McClements, who is already known around south-west London for his French mini-chain, Ma Cuisine Le Petit Bistrot . Tapas y Vino is a humble little place, with a cute Mediterranean decor of terracotta-tiled floor, whitewashed walls and slightly naff provençal tablecloths and trinkets on the walls. Initially the restaurant was called El Vino, but although the wines are good, the main event here is the food, hence the revised name. This isn’t tapas in the familiar sense; portions might be small, but the Spanish influence is one of many, and the cooking displays a sophistication uncommon in tapas bars. Most of the magic happens in the ‘speciality tapas’ section of the menu: witness perfectly pan-fried slabs of monkfish with butter and capers; moreish croquettes of morcilla with quince jam; succulent scallops on a fantastically tar-like squid-ink risotto; or slabs of oxtail in a sticky red-wine reduction with creamed potatoes. And there are many more dishes, updated seasonally.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009