Cambio de Tercio

With its warm Spanish welcome, a vibrant colour scheme of pinks, yellows and oranges and surreal artwork adorning the walls, a visit to Cambio de Tercio is certainly a vivid experience. Fortunately, the menu has as much colour as the setting: it's full of top-notch modern cooking with plenty of imagination. A starter of smoked raw tuna with scallops, crisp endive and asparagus was a sign of good things to follow. Starters double as tapas, so you can opt for three or four, or move on to a main. Both options are worthwhile, with tapas allowing you to sample a range of the chefs' skilfully constructed dishes. Melt-in-the-mouth sweet braised oxtail is a must for meat lovers, while tomatoes marinated in oloroso sherry and roasted for eight hours are not to be missed. Desserts were equally impressive, as were the mini cones of cinnamon-flecked crema catalana and rich dark truffles that came with coffee. To drink, there's an extensive choice of wines listed by region, along with sherries and cava. High prices make this somewhere to go for a special occasion, but the ambience, culinary skill and service make you feel you're getting good value.