47-55 Hanway Street,
Soho,
London,
W1T 1UX
The ViewLondon Review
Whilst the wildly popular flamenco show remains at Costa Dorada, the biggest transformation is in their cooking.
The Venue
In the past, Costa Dorada, a large Spanish restaurant round the back of Tottenham Court Road tube station, suffered from the erratic nature of its food and its lacklustre decor. Now the food is more consistent and the venue has improved with subtle changes to its decor. Gone are the dusty red velvet curtains and pointless chair covers, in comes a mustard yellow colour scheme which gives the basement space a hue that contrasts atmospherically with the dark wooden tables, chairs, fixtures and fittings. The whole setting is barely illuminated by some very sparse spotlights. Overall, the illusion is a convincing one as when you look around you could easily be taking shelter in a cool and airy basement space in Spain. It’s amazing what a lick of paint and some fresh ideas can do.
The Atmosphere
For some people the concept of eating at a restaurant that turns into a late night disco may immediately set the alarm bells ringing in their head. By the time the DJ starts spinning the tunes at Costa Dorada, the flamenco has already been on and you may well have finished with your dinner, but you can stay, sip more cocktails and get down to Enrique Iglesias. The choice is yours.
Keeping faithful to the Spanish way of eating later in the day, you won’t want to rock up too early on in the evening if you like to eat in a bustling atmosphere. That said, once the clock ticks past 8pm at weekends you are best advised to have a reservation. During a typical weekend sitting, the place crackles with banter and large groups or couples feel equally at home. The staff do a great job; they’re convivial, helpful and always appear at the right time.
The post-meal flamenco show is the focal point of the evening, with the centre of the dining area stripped bare allowing enough space for a low wooden stage to be pulled out for the dancers to perform on. The silver-haired singer, who performs the achingly heartfelt call and response, does a magnificent job as the dancers, one male and one female, strut, twist and stomp across the floor causing a reverberating rat-a-tat-tat sound. As it reaches an intense conclusion, their efforts are met with rapturous applause.
The Food
Different menus are available depending on when you visit. During the week you can order from the full range of tapas, with six dishes or 12 dishes costing £25 and £40, respectively. Depending on your appetite, six plates may well be enough but if you’re hungry and sharing, a full dozen dishes split over two sessions of service is perfect. On Friday and Saturday you can either order from a reduced set tapas menu, or from the a la carte which has choices such as paella, steak, seafood, lamb chops served with mash potato and vegetables.
For an authentic Spanish experience, go for the tapas. Navigating their way neatly around the eternal tapas conundrum of where to fit all the dishes on the table, Costa Dorada have a wooden construction that elevates the dishes onto a wooden tray, about a thumb and a forefinger in height, and a wooden tray sits neatly on top with six little plate-shaped indents to keep them secure.
Some of the highlights include a beautiful mix of smoky king prawns and saffron-infused sticky rice, a lovely combination of crunchy green beans with tiny chunks of salty Serrano ham, a very respectable meatballs in a rich tomato sauce, a delicate calamares with a clean and thin crisp batter, and a saltfish and potato croquette that has the consistency of pureed potato and a lovely tang from the salty white fish which gives it some character. The chorizo is particularly good here too; a true indicator of a Spanish restaurant’s ability to do the simple things right. The thick slices of meat are nice and supple and wonderful flavours of garlic and paprika encompass your senses as you tuck in. The cider sauce it sits in is a shallow and thin one that gives it a sweet dimension.
Slightly less successful in execution are the patatas bravas, bruschetta with tomato and olive oil and the lentils with vegetables. The little cuts of potato are satisfactory arrive but the accompanying sauce doesn’t have enough kick or heat to lift the dish; the bruschetta is served as a slice of toasted crusty bread with a thin coating of a pulped tomato paste, as opposed to the Italian version which favours chopped tomatoes. The bread works best when you pick it up and mop up some juices from the other dishes but it is a little burnt around the edges. The lentils arrive in a very thin and unremarkable tomato-based sauce which stops the dish being the hit that it could have been if the promise of a rich and slow-cooked base had been delivered.
Overall, there are many more tapas dishes that hit the mark than ones that don’t, and even the ones that don’t are still more than acceptable. If you do order the full twelve dishes between two, make sure that you have a raging hunger to ensure you don’t end up defeated by the sheer volume.
There are seven options for dessert and the crema Catalana should send you home happy. At £5.25 you get a pudding served in a shallow bowl which contains a whipped cream base that has hints of nutmeg flavouring, and it has been flamed to create a caramelised topping. The topping is sparser and not as thick set as a classic creme brulee but it still has enough pleasurable crunch to contrast with the creamy texture contained within.
The Drink
Bottles of house vino start at £15.95 or £3.95 by the glass, not bad considering the location. The wine is exclusively Spanish and as the country produces some excellent varieties this can only be a good thing. The Arderius Rioja at £16.95 a bottle is a good match for the meatballs and the chorizo; its sprightly berry flavours develop after the first sip and it works in tandem with the food rather than overpowering proceedings. Cocktails fuel those who are more concerned with dancing rather than eating, and coffees and liqueurs are popular post-dinner options. They start at £1.25 for a single espresso. A small range of brandies (from £4) is another way to conclude your meal.
The Last Word
Costa Dorada has improved its cooking, smartened up its appearance and delivers authentic Spanish food and entertainment.
Costa Dorada has been reviewed by 12 users