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José Pizarro

Restaurants, Spanish Broadgate
4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5 stars
(10user reviews)
Jose Pizarro (© Ming Tang-Evans)
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© Ming Tang-Evans
Jose Pizarro (© Ming Tang-Evans)
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© Ming Tang-Evans
Jose Pizarro (© Ming Tang-Evans)
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© Ming Tang-Evans
Jose Pizarro (© Ming Tang-Evans)
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© Ming Tang-Evans
Jose Pizarro (© Ming Tang-Evans)
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© Ming Tang-Evans
Jose Pizarro (© Ming Tang-Evans)
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© Ming Tang-Evans
Jose Pizarro (Ming Tang-Evans)
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Ming Tang-Evans
Jose Pizarro (© Ming Tang-Evans)
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© Ming Tang-Evans
Jose Pizarro (© Ming Tang-Evans)
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© Ming Tang-Evans

Time Out says

4 out of 5 stars

José Pizarro takes the best bits of his Bermondsey Street ventures José and Pizarro to the City.

Walking into Broadgate Circle on a warm summer evening is like entering a gladiatorial arena. The roar from the City folk is a shock; pushing your way through is a feat. Thankfully, things get a lot more civilised inside José Pizarro’s new restaurant.

The Extremaduran chef is a master of hospitality: his Bermondsey Street tapas bar, José, is the kind of gem you’d wish to stumble upon while in Spain; while his larger, smarter Pizarro restaurant just a few doors down manages to be a destination venue that has a neighbourhood feel.

This third venture is not as big as you might expect for a City flagship. Clever design hides the awkward layout: a high communal table separates the long bar from the blue-grey dining room.

JP is slick, but that’s not to say it lacks heart. Our waitress sat at the table to take our order, and Pizarro himself grabbed a bite with friends.

The food is quick to arrive and thoroughly delicious: gooey croquetas; tender, paprika-sprinkled octopus; crisp-edged fried egg with grilled asparagus and romesco sauce; sardines cooked in oil and served in a tin; and juicy prawn buñuelos (stuffed and fried dough balls).

José Pizarro offers sherry and cava to whet the appetite as well as a selection of Spanish-style G&Ts – perfect for quaffing on the terrace. The well-explained wine list offers lots by the glass and carafe.

The City JP does nothing startlingly different from its two branches. But in its own arena, it entertains the crowds better than Russell Crowe.

By: Nicola Arencibia

Posted:

Details
Static map showing venue location
Address: 36 Broadgate Circle
London
EC2M 1QS
Transport: Tube: Liverpool Street
Contact:
www.josepizarro.com Call Venue 020 7256 5333
Opening hours: Open Mon-Fri 7am-11pm; 11am-11pm Sat.
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Users say (10)

4 out of 5 stars

Average User Rating

3.9 / 5

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star:4
  • 4 star:2
  • 3 star:2
  • 2 star:0
  • 1 star:1
LiveReviews|10
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1 of 1 found helpful

Not working in the City, I'm always slightly shocked by the amount of drinking, and same is going on in the Broadgate Circle, but once past them and into Pizarro, you can breath again! The menu is different but same as Bermondsey, different food, but same quality, new favourite is Grill Octopus, we finished or were finished by having Spanish G & T although I still maintain I couldn't taste the tonic! Recommended!

1 of 1 found helpful

Working in the City, I have watched Broadgate getting some new restaurants, one was Pizarro, which I had to go to Bermondsey prevoiusly, so now I have it for lunch or afterwork dining! We stop by last Friday, and Jose couldn't of been nicer, the menu is slightly different to Bermondsey, with new favourites being Pork meatballs & grill Octopus, word of warning if you have the G & T they are large!! 

Tastemaker

Bermondsey has a ton of great restaurants now but I feel Jose Pizarro is probably the best one. I had the privilege of attending a charity dinner with Jose and the Galvin brothers (Chris and Jeff). The food was some of the best I have had. Think 5j Jamon, Iberico pork main, tuna escabeche etc. Jose is extremely welcoming as well and the staff were super professional and well trained. I foresee myself coming back again for the regular menu.

tastemaker

This restaurant in Broadgate circle gets exceptionally busy on weekdays so always book! The food is good, but nothing special. Standard tapas style dishes you'd see on most menus at similar restaurants. The wine & cocktail list is good though and portions are decent. Worth a visit if you're in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit again.

tastemaker

It has to be said, I'm not a fan of Tapas food but we booked here for my dad's birthday as he has wanted to go for a while. I won't be returning any time soon, they had run out of Sangria, they had run out of the burgers and were offered trotters as a replacement, much to my horror! This was on a Monday night!

The food that was available really wasn't great, the chorizo balls were nice, the chicken skewers were £13 for 2 of them and they were rubbery as were the spicy prawns. We ordered a 'large' cheese board which was really quite small. 

I do think it was really overpriced for not very good food and even though I'm not particularly a fan of tapas, I have definitely eaten nicer than this.

The staff were very nice and did bring out a desert with a candle for my dad's birthday which was very much appreciated.

However the combination of the food and the restaurant itself was anything special to look at, the male toilet wasn't working so everyone had to use the one women's toilet, it was just a bit of a poor show and I really wasn't very impressed.

Tastemaker

Top tip: book a Saturday evening online and you will get 50% off all food!

This offer makes the visit worth it and I will definitely be back however I don't think the food is worth its price tag.

Some stand out dishes were the ox cheek and padron peppers however the cheese board was disappointing as was the iberico.

We managed to get through a few bottles of the cheapest red (£21) which was reasonable however after that the wine prices sky rocket!

Overall a nice meal but nothing amazing!


You're spoiled for choice in the new Broadgate Circle development, but Jose Pizarro's third restaurant (stretching the potential for naming restaurants after yourself to the limit) can be considered a safe bet.


Of the six or seven plates we worked through the boquerones were a notable highlight. The vinegariness was expertly balanced with sweet basil oil and I could have easily worked through several plates in a row. Croquetas, King Prawns and Pluma Iberica were similarly accomplished and almost as memorable. The wine was also top notch.


City types with a corporate card to flash could have a field day, but even on a regular budget the bill is fairly reasonable. A great addition to the area.

Staff Writer

Really enjoyed the City branch of Jose, mostly because it's nigh on impossible to get into the Bermondsey street one. The food was great, i think my favourite dish was the slow cooked Carne con tomate and Tochino Iberico. It was melt in the mouth delicious. I'm just hoping I can one day get into the original one!

Tastemaker

I had breakfast here and both the sour French Toast and chocolate mousse with olive oil were delicious.Service was very friendly too. 

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