REVIEW: Tapas Revolution, Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch

It’s been a good while now since I last visited London’s most recognised Spanish tapas restaurant brand, Tapas Revolution. I first heard about the name a few years back when Omar Allibhoy opened up his first site at Westfield shopping centre. His new venture here in Shoreditch however is a very different approach and instead of being the casual, simple, authentic offering were so used to from Omar – this time he’s gone all out with a serious restaurant serving some very good Spanish tapas indeed.

One thing this restaurant has over a lot of other Spanish restaurants (apart from Copita) in London – was a solid offering from the gin tonic department (the Spanish drop the ‘and’). A couple of refreshing gin cocktails certainly got us (or at least me anyway) in the mood. A sweet Ginabella plum infused gin concoction and the clear favourite – Nordes gin with mint, refreshing ginger and quality Fever-Tree tonic. It was especially helpful in washing down those delicious slices of pan con tomate rubbed bread and a plate filled with slivers of Jamón ibérico de bellota Joselito, supposedly the best Jamón in the world. I’ll however go as far by saying it was excellent, just not quite the best I’ve ever.

One thing you won’t expect when visiting Tapas Revolution Shoreditch, is for prices to be as competitive as they were. Portion sizes were fantastic too and drinking prices were even better. One of the highlights for us, which felt very modern (and not very Spanish), was the tuna carpaccio with a nutty almond sauce and a tart citrus vinaigrette. As a tapa dish, the idea is to share – although I really didn’t want to. Red mullet al la plancha with mussels, barley and saffron sauce was yet another triumph and that saffron really lifting the dish into a sumptuous ethereal state. At this point during our meal the power went off down the street (thanks to the Holborn electrical fire), but phones with torches were at the ready, illuminating food for me (hence the one dodgy photo). Patatas bravas were fine enough, but needed more seasoning.

After stuffing our faces in half darkness, the power finally came back on and cooking commenced – revealing even more stunning plates of food. One of the most surprising and immensely satisfying dishes of our evening was the courgette salad with truffle foam, smoked cheese and a light but lingering hazelnut dressing. Fighting fellow diners off, I managed to sneak in as many bechamel and mushroom croquettes as I possibly could – especially when I found out they were also laced with truffle. A homemade tortilla was again picture perfect and importantly gooey on the middle, but much like the patatas bravas it needed extra seasoning, salt to be precise – its cooking otherwise could not be faulted.

I’ll admit it, mostly through this meal I’d been waiting to get to that all important part of the evening – the meat courses. Thankfully it was all just as good as we’d hoped too, and more. Pork cheeks were taken to new heights, slow cooked and braised in a deep and rich chocolate sauce with whole chestnuts – the stuff of dreams. Perhaps even better still was the marinated beef slices which slowly let out flavours of vampire killing garlic, potatoes and sweet slow roasted peppers (hidden under the juicy meat). It’s dishes like these which are really going to put Tapas Revolution Shoreditch on the map.

By this point I wasn’t only full, but had also lost count of how many glasses of wine I’d consumed. That’s a good evening in my books. Desserts were a solid offering from the kitchen and in some cases a new experience. A chocolate mouse revealed a  delicious thick chocolate brownie at the bottom. Creme caramel was very VERY good, but the surprise and clear winner was this odd-looking Torija. A sort of custard and brioche/french toast creation which was tepid in heat and quite frankly – drool worthy. Its popularity seemed a little mixed within the table, but for me it was just another one of the highlights here.

Tapas Revolution Shoreditch is truly a fantastic new restaurant and is certainly Omar’s biggest triumph today. With its approachable prices, fantastic service and both traditional tapas and modern creations on the menu there really is something for everyone. If you find yourself hungry in Shoreditch then make a booking here – It may be the best decision you’ll make this year.

8/10