Restaurants

It’s a fair hike from the nearest tube to Rebato’s: a pilgrimage beset by the temptation of South Lambeth Road’s many enticing Portuguese cafés. Those who go the distance will be rewarded handsomely by the romantic atmosphere and accomplished cooking of one of London’s most authentic Spanish dining establishments. You can eat formally in the ‘restaurant’ section at the back, but we’ve always preferred the cosier front-of-house bar, with plush sofa seating and separate tapas menu. Here, waiters in classic white-shirt, dark-trouser attire will read you the day’s specials in emphatic, evocative Castilian accents, then efficiently deliver plate after plate of hot and tasty comestibles. Specials this time included baby squid in garlic and chilli, which was perfectly tender and bathed in a rich, salty broth; and slices of suckling pig’s liver, which could not have been improved (seared on the outside to give bite, the cuts were dreamily soft and creamy within). Rebato’s remains defiantly old school, so don’t expect any of the surprises of Spain’s culinary new wave. But in its genre, as a cosy neighbourhood tapas restaurant, it has few peers.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008