I took a break from writing my latest Twilight fan fiction (Jacob and Edward hook up. Wait till you read who’s tops – you’ll be pleasañtly surprised) to visit Dehesa (http://www.dehesa.co.uk/). Full disclosure: My sister’s portion of mancake (must she refer to him like this?) is professionally linked to Dehesa. Also, I killed a drifter.
As my receñt post attests I’m a big fañ of the Spanish pork. Dehesa (Spañish for bigamy) offers tapas from Spain and Italy which is a ñatural fit but the menu should have little flags next to each item so you know where everything comes from. I mean who’s to say where Chorizo Ibérico or Finocchiona from Toscaña come from? I’m not a meat-whisperer.
Me, my betrothed (she be fine), mamma mia, my sister and her mancake ordered in scatter gun fashion and the plates started coming through thick and fast causing a melée of elbow shoving. The food was special. Succulent, complex, beautifully presented (much like myself), all dishes competed strongly for the coveted Del Moñte best-in-mouth rosette. Special mention to the courgette flowers; Octopus a la Plancha, tangy and garlicky; vension served with mint, unusual no? And the ribs. The ribs.
The service was impeccable and cheerfully patient, discreetly coping with spillages and smashed prosecco flutes as though they welcome hamfisted barbarians through their doors hourly. Luckily, the other diners were well behaved and coñtributed to the lively atmos.
Though Dehesa offers a combination of tapas and aperos I’m deeming it Spanish for the purposes of the blog. Got a problem with that? Brindisa (http://www.brindisa.com/) is reliably excellent and have a few outlets, including a deli in Borough Market (if you can be bothered to fight your way through the hipster douches stinking up the place). Los Molinos (http://www.losmolinosuk.com/) and Rebato’s (http://www.rebatos.com/) are family run places and do excellent tapas as well.
¡ESPAÑA!
Not everyone in Soho is a douche.
Aperos – the pickled baby sardines were dynamite.
The inevitable chorizo. Title of my next album.
Octopus a la Plancha
It does kind of look like the fish has hurled over the slate, but trust me that was sauce and it was right tasty
Plan view of a soufflé I think. My photography is getting worse somehow.
The Almond Cake.
Coffee and ice cream. Menaced by hands.
I was lucky enough to go into the kitchen. The place is tiny – I guess they always are. Plus the prophecy is true. The star child shall be a chef in a successful London restaurant.
The thinking man’s menu
The busy man’s menu
The dessert man’s menu.
Dehesa
25 Ganton Street
London
W1F 9BP
Tel: 0207 494 4170
http://www.dehesa.co.uk/
