Website states: Our customers tell us this could be 'the best Spanish restaurant and Tapas bar in London'
Big claim... but as far as I'm concerned in my experience of Tapas, they could well be right. I did in fact leave the joint declaring 'that was the best tapas I'VE ever had' which may or may not have been impacted by the bottle of white I was consuming - which FYI, was just house dry white and was fantastic.
To get back to the beginning of this jaunt (week before last - am lax - totes soz) (and I say that ironically by the way, I'm not a total dick) In celebration (I should say commiseration?) of some of our colleagues leaving the company, wheels were set in motion for an evening of Tapas and rollerskating. The usual innit... innit? No, but it SHOULD be! Was such a brilliant combo because if you're new to rollerskating you can merely open your mouth and breathe the path ahead of you clear from sheer garlic overload from the tapas. That's a health and safety tip you can keep you lucky, lucky people.
On the walk from Vauxhall overground station to Rebato's (not to be done in the rain - not short) i was becoming more and more dubious as we passed Spanish looking restaurants that looked more and more run down and grubby with stern 'don't enter my local you surburban trespasser' looks being shot at us from those sitting out front. with JOY we came upon Rebatos and it looked delightful if pretty gloomy.
Stepping inside was like literally stepping into Spain, authentic Spanish feel and authentic I know better than you bar staff. I started on my first glass of their lovely white and they also presented us with some chunks of spanish tortilla (potato omelette). This usually means dry, bland tasteless stodge but it was delicious, more akin to the sort of tartiflette flavours of a french or german dish.
(DISCLAIMER - am a tapas HATER FYI. Everyone bangs on about it being a taste sensation when most of what i've ever had (yes INCLUDING in Spain) is dull. Im not a big fan of chorizo - it can taste like metallic blood - and i can have fried potatoes anytime i like. And THEN, if there is a dish i take a fancy to, it's gone before i've even caught a waft as they're so stupidly small)
Once all 12 of us or so had arrived we were taken to the restaurant area which was such a surprise, it had a huge conservatory feel, massive plants against white washed walls and massive skylights. Spanish tiled floors and well laid tables, cannot praise it enough. (just to balance out this outpouring of love and passion - the loos are gross)
We poured in the orders, shouting out random dishes then "x3". Food starting pouring out as and when it was ready which is something you need to bear in mind because as first couple of dishes arrived and were devoured we ordered more of them as we'd already forgotten half of wht we'd asked for. To the extent that when we had all decided we were pretty much done and some more enthusiastic diners had stabbed others in the back of their hands in their eagerness for a prawn, the calamari started rolling out which we'd completely forgotten.
To summarise what i can remember of the dishes and rate them each -
Olive ciabatta bread with oils and aioli and tortilla - 9/10
thinly sliced portobello mushrooms with garlic butter - 10!
tomatoes with vinaigrette and toasted pine nuts - 8
chorizo - (am prejudiced) - 3
patatas bravas - 7 - served with separate pots of tomato/garlic/mayonaise which is a nice touch to help yourself
calamari - 8
spinach and garlic croquettes - 7
chicken in garlic - 9
Prawns in garlic - 8
smoked suckling pig ribs - 0
I'm sure i can't even remember most of it... the ribs get a 0 because they arrived last of all once we were all stuffed and they STANK. I don't much like smoked things at the best of times but these smelt acrid and felt convinced i'd smell like one of them when i left so i didn't even try it. what a GRINCH.
Absolutely fantastic atmosphere and environment, would love to go in dead of winter for a holiday feeling uplift - 8/10 because as good as it gets, ain't ever going to be my favourite cuisine.
Roller Disco in Vauxhall - http://www.rollerdisco.com/
So from then on to the Roller Disco! Won't go into much detail but it is a BRILLIANT night out, if a little alarming. I haven't skated since i was about 10 and it all came back! there is a slower speed rink and fast paced one. We had a booth booked round the edge (right next to the bar) which is a must so you have a sitting down spot.
Advice to all - have a wee before you start because it's an interesting experience going in your boots. (not IN your boots.. you get me) Dance/skate off battles broke out on the fast paced area which were awesome to watch, they guys who work there and the regulars are entertaining enough to watch in themselves.
And big bonus of it all, a brilliant outside smoking area with heaters and decking that you can go out in your skates on. THE DOWNSIDE - to access the smoking area you must cross the PRO PIT. as i call it. But see this as a challenge, I will force myself to exercise in order to go and destroy my lungs. That kind of thaaaang. What else? check your bag i and cram bare essentials in your pockets. You won't care once you're whizzing round the floor.
Another hot tip - take some idiots from your work who are willing to attempt ridiculous stunts unbefitting to a group of desk monkeys, my stomach hurt the most of all my muscles the next day from laughing so hard. And myself being the clumsiest person in attendance? I stacked it just the once. When standing still.
Brilliant.
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| Drool will not do your laptop any good.. |
P.S. SELF PROMOTING BLAG - Bing's birthday present from me, based on a recipe by Lorraine Pascale (used creme fraiche instead of cream, brandy stead of sherry and added garlic to the mushroom mix because C'MON! I'm part French, don't tell me mushrooms can survive without it!!! )
Individual AMAHHHHHHH-ZING Beef Wellingtons
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