I ate at Mar I Terra on Saturday, en route to check the Thames Festival on the Southbank. Both were quite pleasant. The fete was interesting because of the laid back village to watch this country becoming more continental as the years go by: the ambiance was laid back, with performers and food.
However, by that time we were quite full having made a detour via Blackfriars to have dinner at Mar I Terra for some proper Spanish tapas. All felt right in place, relax and good. We had the classics: boquerones, patatas bravas, some meat balls and some cervesa to wash it. All tapas are around a fiver except the jamon, which at thirteen and a half quid isn't cheap. It's very very good and probably worth it though.
It's my idea of casual food: simple, with good ingredients and no fuss. I would recommend this highly for a dinner with friends, around a good bottle -their wine list is well researched. No real downsides, apart the fact they don't take bookings -but they do have a bar. It's also a bit out of one's way, but worth the trek.
I haven't been to the Soho one, but the address is here as well.
Mar I Terra (www.mariterra.co.uk)
Blackfriars: 14 Gambia Street, London SE1 0XH - 020 7928 7628
Soho: 17 Air Street, London W1B 5AF - 020 7734 1992
While I'm on the subject of tapas, here's are some quick comments on two others I have in mind:
- Don Fernando in Richmond: not very refined nor cheap, but okay for a casual dinner if you catch their offers. Just.
27f The Quadrant, Richmond TW9 1DN -020 8948 6447 - La Tasca in Covent Garden and elsewhere: avoid like plague unless you're really interested into finding out how tourists can be (badly) treated in London ; probably the worst paella I've ever had, we almost walked out as the service was agonisingly slow.
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