Oxford International Students' Handbook
2009-10
Exclusive Spanish Flavour
Few customers passing through the doors of this tapas bar on Little Clarendon Street will notice that everything on the menu is Spanish. Not just the main dishes and a couple of drinks, but every tapas, every main and every bottle on the wine list. The only expectations are the spirits and Corona beer.
And this is Spain at its best. The fritos de queso de cabra a la miel are delectable. The menu glosses them as deep-fried medallions of goat’s cheese with honey and you'll find the honey-sweetness complements the musky cheese, crumbly with a crispy fried coating. For cold tapas, try the excellent puplo y mejillones marinado. Although served cold, the mussels and octopus tentacles retain their tenderness.
The tapas arrive with speed, meaning you can drop in for a couple and know they'll get to the table in five to ten minutes. Those with plenty of time to linger can wait for the paella - these are 30-45 minutes, the menu warns. We didn't have time to try them, but if they are anything like the rest of the food, they'll be worth the wait.
Cool Mediterranean floor tiles and hot orange walls complete the Andalusian experience, ignore the Corona and sit back with a large Jug of Sangria.