Rosette & Michelin Guide recommendation 2010 and 2011Elpirata Detapas
115 Westbourne Grove
London W2 4UP
020 7727 5000
Reviews
"The service was exceptional, the food devine and the wine a superb bargain." Read More
Charlotte Jones, GlamUK
"Right from the start the gastronomic delights unfurl - gorgeous garlic aioli comes with Spanish bread. You should not miss..." Read More
Chrissy Iley, Evening Standard Food Magazine
"Beautifully presented on a glass plate, this course looked resolutely Michelin." Read More
Quintessentially Insider September 2012
"Allibhoy is known to foodies as the head chef at El Pirata de Tapas, a fine west London restaurant, where he acquired a good reputation that led to a number of TV appearances showcasing his energy, enthusiasm for Iberian cuisine and photogenic hairiness."
John Lanchester The Guardian April 11
"Omar Allibhoy a 26 year old chef who trained under Ferran Adria at El Bulli. I've followed him since he arrived in London and turned El Pirata De Tapas into one of London's leading tapas joints"
Tom Parker Bowles Daily Mail April 2011
"This is a buzzing hive for Notting Hill trustafararians who turn up clamouring for the Serrano ham croquettas every Friday. Rich and decadent, the croquettas coming piping hot oozing béchamel from the first bite through the thick and crispy breadcrumbs"
ES Magazine April 2011
"At El Pirata de Tapas we were beautifully welcomed and offered a table in the bustling upstairs. We had some excellent black rice; squid & aioli, and some scallops. The atmosphere was good, the staff friendly, and we had big hams hanging in a glass case to look at, and a good bottle of red wine and it was all rather good value.”
Giles Coren Saturday Times
"El Pirata Detapas is relaxed and funky" Read Review
Metro
"El Pirata Detapas is a cut above." Read Review
The Evening Standard
"This site is home to a serious kitchen making a wide range of high class tapas, and on our Friday night visit, the place was, unsurprisingly, full of punters – its reputation clearly building up. Staff are passionate and enthusiastic, and the place is sure to thrive."
The Hill Magazine
"Everything we ate that night was beautifully presented" Read Review
Fluid London
"It is perhaps reassuring to know that your jaded, bloated correspondent occasionally comes across a restaurant that actually excites him as much as when he first started getting fat for a living.
I’d been to Spanish restaurant El Pirata Detapas once before, and had a perfectly good light lunch – a small dish of fabada (pork and bean stew), some fine bread with a rather timid alioli, a couple of sardines en escabeche and a bottle of Little Creatures pale ale (strongly recommended) – but it all seemed a little bit "Spain lite”. Very good value, jolly friendly service, but all a bit ordinary.
A few weeks later, I went back for dinner and had one of the best meals I’ve had in ages. The previous chef had gone, replaced by a 24-year-old Madrileño with the unlikely name of Omar Allibhoy. His talent was evident in the first dish I tried: a superb, confident assembly of crisp chicory leaves, a foam made from Valdéon (a blue cheese from Castile-Leon, in northwest Spain) and some finely grated fresh walnuts.
What followed was equally remarkable. A ceviche made with tilapia – often a rather dull fish – sang with freshness, the bite of lime juice and the sweetness of roasted piquillo peppers setting off the buttery flesh of the fish.
Boquerones, patanegra and croquetas were all notably good, too. Scallops were seared perfectly and paired with a smooth purée of cauliflower; arroz negro (black rice with seafood) was faultlessly cooked and deeply savoury. The absolute star was a dish of slow-braised pork cheeks: meltingly earthy, richly flavoured and dressed with a Rioja-based jus and a fabulous cherry-scented reduction of sangria.
Each dish demonstrated astonishing maturity, wit and confidence. Allibhoy uses modern techniques – nitro-foams and a Microplane grater, for instance – but they never obscure the essence of the dish. Prices are remarkably reasonable, and there is an excellent Spanish wine list: I drank a rich, concentrated Elias Mora 2006 from Toro, which was (sensibly) decanted to bring out its fruitiness.
The young team of waiters is knowledgeable and enthusiastic: I think they know that they have a bit of a star in the kitchen. Modern Spanish food is certainly trendy at the moment – witness the success of Barrafina and Tapas Brindisa – but nowhere have I eaten food this good at these prices. Not even in Spain."
Bill Knott - Grove Magazine
"Watch out Fino and Cambio there's a new kid on the block. Pata negra was to die for and there is plenty of scrummy tapas dishes avaialble but the tasting menu at £18 a person is an absolute bargain. Sommelier suggested some good Spanish wines that were most drinkable. Good place for a night out with friends."
Bloomsberg Finance
El Pirata in W2 draws its inspiration from the ever-popular El Pirata in Mayfair, established more than 12 years ago, and a favourite must-visit venue for Spanish tapas enthusiasts.
"Terrific tapas” said Zagat
"Surprisingly good prices” wrote Harden’s
"Arguably the best tapas in London” extolled Square Meal
Nobu Matsuhisa - the owner of the global iconic restaurant group Nobu says
"El Pirata in London’s Mayfair is my favourite restaurant. it’s casual, simple and I find tapas so interesting"
Charlotte Jones, GlamUK
"Right from the start the gastronomic delights unfurl - gorgeous garlic aioli comes with Spanish bread. You should not miss..." Read More
Chrissy Iley, Evening Standard Food Magazine
"Beautifully presented on a glass plate, this course looked resolutely Michelin." Read More
Quintessentially Insider September 2012
"Allibhoy is known to foodies as the head chef at El Pirata de Tapas, a fine west London restaurant, where he acquired a good reputation that led to a number of TV appearances showcasing his energy, enthusiasm for Iberian cuisine and photogenic hairiness."
John Lanchester The Guardian April 11
"Omar Allibhoy a 26 year old chef who trained under Ferran Adria at El Bulli. I've followed him since he arrived in London and turned El Pirata De Tapas into one of London's leading tapas joints"
Tom Parker Bowles Daily Mail April 2011
"This is a buzzing hive for Notting Hill trustafararians who turn up clamouring for the Serrano ham croquettas every Friday. Rich and decadent, the croquettas coming piping hot oozing béchamel from the first bite through the thick and crispy breadcrumbs"
ES Magazine April 2011
"At El Pirata de Tapas we were beautifully welcomed and offered a table in the bustling upstairs. We had some excellent black rice; squid & aioli, and some scallops. The atmosphere was good, the staff friendly, and we had big hams hanging in a glass case to look at, and a good bottle of red wine and it was all rather good value.”
Giles Coren Saturday Times
"El Pirata Detapas is relaxed and funky" Read Review
Metro
"El Pirata Detapas is a cut above." Read Review
The Evening Standard
"This site is home to a serious kitchen making a wide range of high class tapas, and on our Friday night visit, the place was, unsurprisingly, full of punters – its reputation clearly building up. Staff are passionate and enthusiastic, and the place is sure to thrive."
The Hill Magazine
"Everything we ate that night was beautifully presented" Read Review
Fluid London
"It is perhaps reassuring to know that your jaded, bloated correspondent occasionally comes across a restaurant that actually excites him as much as when he first started getting fat for a living.
I’d been to Spanish restaurant El Pirata Detapas once before, and had a perfectly good light lunch – a small dish of fabada (pork and bean stew), some fine bread with a rather timid alioli, a couple of sardines en escabeche and a bottle of Little Creatures pale ale (strongly recommended) – but it all seemed a little bit "Spain lite”. Very good value, jolly friendly service, but all a bit ordinary.
A few weeks later, I went back for dinner and had one of the best meals I’ve had in ages. The previous chef had gone, replaced by a 24-year-old Madrileño with the unlikely name of Omar Allibhoy. His talent was evident in the first dish I tried: a superb, confident assembly of crisp chicory leaves, a foam made from Valdéon (a blue cheese from Castile-Leon, in northwest Spain) and some finely grated fresh walnuts.
What followed was equally remarkable. A ceviche made with tilapia – often a rather dull fish – sang with freshness, the bite of lime juice and the sweetness of roasted piquillo peppers setting off the buttery flesh of the fish.
Boquerones, patanegra and croquetas were all notably good, too. Scallops were seared perfectly and paired with a smooth purée of cauliflower; arroz negro (black rice with seafood) was faultlessly cooked and deeply savoury. The absolute star was a dish of slow-braised pork cheeks: meltingly earthy, richly flavoured and dressed with a Rioja-based jus and a fabulous cherry-scented reduction of sangria.
Each dish demonstrated astonishing maturity, wit and confidence. Allibhoy uses modern techniques – nitro-foams and a Microplane grater, for instance – but they never obscure the essence of the dish. Prices are remarkably reasonable, and there is an excellent Spanish wine list: I drank a rich, concentrated Elias Mora 2006 from Toro, which was (sensibly) decanted to bring out its fruitiness.
The young team of waiters is knowledgeable and enthusiastic: I think they know that they have a bit of a star in the kitchen. Modern Spanish food is certainly trendy at the moment – witness the success of Barrafina and Tapas Brindisa – but nowhere have I eaten food this good at these prices. Not even in Spain."
Bill Knott - Grove Magazine
"Watch out Fino and Cambio there's a new kid on the block. Pata negra was to die for and there is plenty of scrummy tapas dishes avaialble but the tasting menu at £18 a person is an absolute bargain. Sommelier suggested some good Spanish wines that were most drinkable. Good place for a night out with friends."
Bloomsberg Finance
El Pirata in W2 draws its inspiration from the ever-popular El Pirata in Mayfair, established more than 12 years ago, and a favourite must-visit venue for Spanish tapas enthusiasts.
"Terrific tapas” said Zagat
"Surprisingly good prices” wrote Harden’s
"Arguably the best tapas in London” extolled Square Meal
Nobu Matsuhisa - the owner of the global iconic restaurant group Nobu says
"El Pirata in London’s Mayfair is my favourite restaurant. it’s casual, simple and I find tapas so interesting"
