Casa Brindisa in South Kensington offers mouthwatering tapas dishes in a suitably upmarket setting.

The Venue
The Brindisa chain of restaurants began as an importer of Spanish foods, and later opened restaurants around London, including the original in Borough Market. Casa Brindisa is an elegant, breezy addition to the chain, just around the corner from South Kensington tube. As a nod to its beginnings, there’s also a little food shop downstairs. Set among the little cafes and white-walled mansions of Exhibition Road, Casa Brindisa’s location has real pulling power, being just a few minutes’ walk away from the V&A, Natural History and Science museums.

The Atmosphere
Casa Brindisa feels spacious and chic, with an open-plan dining room and a view of the kitchen and huge, marble-topped workstation at the back of the restaurant. The style is pared-down rustic - sofas in a terracotta shade vaguely reminiscent of Spanish tiles, darkwood tables, kitsch chilli tins on each table containing knives and forks. It’s popular with couples, tourists and cosmopolitan-looking groups alike, and has a relaxed but distinctly grown-up atmosphere. In summer, there are also seats outdoors on the pavement. The staff are attentive and prompt, but not overly friendly, and they will attempt to move you along if you don’t keep ordering.

The Food
The menu appears on a printed placemat and although the dishes are named tapa plates, don’t be misled – they are the snack-sized portions you’d expect. Fans of charcuterie and cured meats won’t be disappointed, as there’s plenty of choice and you can also order mixed plates of Spanish specialities, including cured fish and regional cheeses.

To start off, the Gordal olives are absolutely divine, as they should be at £3.10 for a teeny dish. Stuffed with juicy orange and dusted with salt and marjoram, these enormous green olives burst with fragrant citrus flavour. Potato, chorizo and pepper Spanish omelette (£4.10) arrives as a cold, cake-like pink and red slice, accompanied by a dollop of thick, creamy allioli.

From the tapas menu, peas with pancetta (£4.50) have a fresh, almost minty taste and starchy texture, served hot in a miniature oven dish. Patatas bravas (£3.50) are crunchy, slightly oily, and served with a dollop of sauce which is very tomatoey but not very spicy. The fried whitebait (£4.20) has a strong salty, fish flavour, and they’re deliciously crisp and melting. Tapas-sized portions taken into account, the beetroot salad with blue cheese and walnuts seems ridiculously overpriced at £6.50 for a sparse sprinkling of leaves and a small piece of cheese on the side. For dessert, vichyssoise of pears with chocolate (£5) is refreshing and cool, with a crisp, clean taste of pears and a slightly creamy texture.

The Drink
Casa Brindisa offers a wide assortment of Spanish wines, starting at £15.95 a bottle or £3.95 a glass for the light, fresh-tasting house white, and going up to the top end of nearly £200. There are also lots of cavas and sherries to choose from, with prices starting at £4.90 a glass, and dessert wines at around £7 a glass.

The Last Word
The food at Casa Brindisa is lovely and its quietly classy atmosphere makes it an equally suitable place for a romantic date or lunch out with family or friends. None of the dishes disappoint in taste, and the menu is full of very tempting and authentic specialities. It’s definitely not cheap, but it does feel like a treat.

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