Restaurants

Year after year we’ve been delighted to enjoy some of the best tapas in London at this neighbourhood restaurant. In most other respects it’s a pretty unremarkable venue: from the forgettable frontage to the plain (though perfectly amenable) decor. Food-wise, though, it’s not just the high-quality ingredients and excellent cooking that impress, it’s the originality and eclecticism of the menu. In most cases a list of over 40 tapas would be a bad omen; here it’s inspirational. From the selection of 16 vegetable tapas, we chose roast beetroot with chestnuts and red onion in a balsamic reduction; Calasparra rice with roasted aubergines, peas and mint; and grilled wild mushrooms with rosemary and confit garlic. All were superb assemblies of flavours and textures, prepared with obvious diligence and passion. Our selections of fish and meat were equally impressive, such as seared scallops served with buttered spinach; or chicken livers fried in sherry with serrano ham. The wine list offers nearly 40 bottles in the £13-£30 bracket, with 16 of them available by the glass. It’s rare that a family-run, diminutive diner like this can be called a destination restaurant, but El Parador continues to be worth a trip across town.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009