I don’t know what it is as of recently, but I’ve really developed a little bit of a crush on Canary Wharf. During the week this part of the city can be very boozy and rather busy but as long as your game – so is Canary Wharf. The best time to visit this part of London is at the weekend. No city workers or tourist – just you, fellow diners and empty streets to wonder around. It’s rather sun drenched too and has so many places to sit outdoors. We hoped on the boat from Chelsea Harbour to Canary Wharf just after 5pm. A smooth 45 minute boat journey into the city while enjoying a cheeky beer on board the riverboat service.
We were heading for La Terraza on Cabot Square. A Summer showcase from Ibérica who plans to bring a slice of Spain and its alfresco culture to the City of London. The smell and juicy taste of char-grilled meats from the josper grill, fish perfectly cooked over a charcoal barbecue or cold salmorejo in the sun. As far as terraces go in London – it doesn’t get much better than this.
There was music playing, a live DJ, the beer was flowing and a very infections atmosphere. We propped ourselves up at the bar first to enjoy a drink or two, enjoying the last of the weather as the sun started to set.
I probably reveal my undying love for just about every cuisine possible, but Spanish food is a big part of my life. I spend a lot of time in Spain, particularly in Jerez de la Frontera and so tapas is very close to my heart. And I don’t mean sharing plates which can’t decide what they want to be – but authentic Spanish tapas. We started with two of my favourite things. Scorched and salted padron peppers and some pan con tomate. Both very fresh and very well executed.
Of course no Spanish meal is complete without cheese and hams. We went all out with a half and half board of Iberico heaven and some spectacular cheeses. Every single thing on the wooden board was stunning and especially the 100% Iberico chorizo. Oh-so smokey and with a lovely texture and spice.
Even better was the jaw-droppingly good Juan Pedro Domecq Iberico jamon from Jabugo. If you’ve never tried it before then you really should. It’s one of the best Jamon Iberico’s to come out of Spain and while a little pricey at £22 for a full racion – it’s worth every penny and really does melt in the mouth.
The one thing I loved about the food here is that not once did we have a single bad dish. The garlic prawns were as garlicky and as juicy as we’d hoped for and we quickly realised that keeping the leftover sauce was perfect for dipping just about everything into. Patatas bravas is a dish which can never be resisted and were glad it wasn’t. Not served very traditional, but flavour was spot on and there was just the right amount of aioli and a good seasoning of salt.
Star dish of our entire meal was this beautiful Iberico secreto pork. It’s a cut of meat you really don’t see enough of outside Spanish restaurants in London – but when it comes to pork, this is the caviar of it. With a texture more like steak, filled with pockets of fat and more juicy then you can image. The good helping of salt that’s sprinkled over the top only makes it even better and this example was no exception. I really felt like I was transported back to Spain.
Another lovely dish was the lamb skewers “Pinchos Morunos”. A typical dish of Andalucia, this spiced lamb may be rather simple but the flavour it packs it something else entirely. The meat was so tender and had a sort of mustard yellow sauce drizzled over it, layered with cucumber and on a bed of shoestring fries. A lovely summery dish. It paired very well too with this fantastic white Rioja from Sierra Cantabria that packed all of the Summer freshness and some body to compliment the meat.
Dessert isn’t something I usually eat over tapas and I’m not sure why, but the Spanish caramelised rice pudding (aka arroz con leche) is always satisfying. Here it was no exception, with a lovely texture and flavour – topped with a nice crispy sugar scorched topping.
I’m really glad I got to finally experience a part of the Iberica brand and especially its terrace on a gorgeous day in Canary Wharf. There’s a little glamour, the service is absolutely stunning and the food & drink is pure authentic Spain. If you fancy something a little different this Summer then hop on the boat, order some tapas and drink too much wine on the La Terraza – you’ll have a wonderful evening.
