From the folk behind Tapas Brindisa comes a new Soho outpost, offering fast and furious tapas to Central Londoners.

The Venue
Whereas Tapas Brindisa is cloaked in rustic, warm red tones, Tierra Brindisa is all a light, sea green colour. It’s a small venue – there’s not that much room in Soho – and they’ve tried to make as much of the space as possible as quite a few tables, as well as a bar and open kitchen, fill up two rooms. A leg of ham is on display in a corner of the bar, with a member of staff continuously slicing off the meat in thin strips. A pretty, decorative skylight lets lots of light into the back room, whilst colourful lamps made of wire hang from the ceiling.

The Atmosphere
Packed with plenty of people who work in the area, the restaurant is an ideal spot for lunch if your office is nearby and a good choice to fill up at before a night out. Tapas is made for sharing, and although the restaurant seems a bit too small to take in large groups, it’s a good place to take a friend or two. Food arrives surprisingly thick and fast – indeed, it’s hard to see how a kitchen so small could produce so many dishes. Service is able to handle the rush of customers, but the open kitchen is a bit too close to some of the tables which can make the constant back and forth between the chefs and staff loud and distracting. For a more peaceful meal, sit towards the front.

The Food
The tapas menu is extensive and creative, with some classics as well as inventively modern dishes. Tapas start at £4 a plate and hit £20 for Joselito Gran Reserva ham. Dishes are all presented simply but attractively; the diver caught scallops in particular are eye catching in a soft pink scallop shell, whilst the prawns with garlic and chilli sizzle and spit as they’re brought to your table. Gordal olives with orange and marjoram are listed as £3 on the menu but also appear, for free, when you order. Even if they don’t they’re definitely worth a few quid: shiny and green, sprinkled with salt, they’re incredibly plump and almost melt-in-your-mouth juicy. The Iberico ham croquets (£5.50) are sausage-shaped rolls with an outside of crusty breading and inside of creamy filling and little squares of salty ham. Just one is very rich so the four that are on the plate are more then enough. Lentil stew (£5) is one of about five vegetarian choices. Served in a little copper pot, it’s absolutely packed full of lentils and topped with a dollop of soft Tietar goats curd, a smooth, wet cheese that tastes like sour cream.

The carpaccio of cod with orange, red onion and marjoram (£6) is another good dish, with thinly sliced, almost translucent cod arranged with bright orange wedges and purplish red onions. It’s almost bitterly sweet but the meaty cod makes the flavours seem much more subtle. There’s a selection of five cheeses, about £6 each or £12 for a selection, as well as a few desserts for about £5 each and ice cream or sorbet for £3.50. The pears cooked in Rioja wine are outstanding, with a deep purple pear fanned out prettily on a big clear class plate alongside a pale yellow scoop of saffron ice cream. It’s almost too nice looking to eat, but once you taste a slice you’ll be glad you ordered it; the flavour is deep, rich and sugary and the ice cream lifts it all up so that it blends together perfectly.

The Drink
The drinks menu is about four pages long, with around 15 whites, 20 reds and two roses from about £3.50 per glass and £14 a bottle. Wines are served in a big round glass, minus the stem. Sherry, cava and dessert wine is available as well as a few beer choices, including Estrella.

The Last Word
There are a lot of high quality restaurants in the area but it’s clear that Tierra Brindisa has been welcomed by the locals with open arms.

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