Bar Esteban — Restaurant in London

Definitely one of the best Spanish restaurants in the London area. Great staff, great ambience, and outstanding food. Charred peppers were a refreshing and light course with simple seasoning, and let you appreciate the natural sweetness of the peppers. White asparagus was perfectly cooked, tender, and perfect with the herb butter. Iberico was sliced perfectly thin, but still burst with flavor, and only the amazing flavor of the amazing pork, nothing else. Omelet with prawns ('tortilla') was also perfectly executed, with a creaming center. Garlic prawns were also, perfect. The flavors were amazing, the prawns were fresh and plump. Also, only the Europeans and Asians appreciate the heads of the prawns, which was left on. Dipping the bread into the prawn sauce was an absolute must. Oxtail was not at all how I expected. All the tender oxtail meat were made into a medallion, then seared in the pan. The meat was cooked in a tomato base, full of spices, and just melted in my mouth. The best dish of the night was the octopus. Never in my life have I had an octopus dish that the meat was so tender, it melted in my mouth. It still has a nice texture that you expected from the octopus, but not chewy. It was unreal.

Of course there was dessert. Bread pudding with orange rosemary ice cream really caught my attention, such an interesting combination. While the ice cream was not particularly creamy, the flavors worked very well. The bread pudding wasn't really bread pudding, where it was mushy. It was more like a French Toast, coated with cinnamon sugar. Perfect ending...

I went in this place because my friend said to me that was ok and also because they usually have oysters. We was in 2 on friday night and we reserved the table,we ordered 2 cocktail in the beginning and a lot of tapas. The service was ok, nice and smiley stuff,young boys in black constantly around. Drinks ok, the food was really delicious, good quality of everything. The fried crougette with goat cheese and honey was amazing, i have to order it twice, Oysters ok, ham croquet really nice, pan con tomate as well, chipirones perfect, pimiento de padron absolutly perfect as well, we order also the octopus the was soft and cooked perfectly so nice,just 6 small pieces for 13,50 pound. They also bring to us a dessert one ganache of chocolate that was good and the Catalan cream, not was bad but just was cold and not really incredible. The only thing is too expensive, of couse you have to pay the quality but i think they forgot that are tapas not main courses so the prices in some tapas are too high. Anyway good place good quality i ll come back for sure and i...

I first went to the resturant not long after it had opened and it was amazing! I had suspected that the food and service would suffer as time went by and the place picked up a few more regulars.

It seems though, to have persisted and I have also persisted in going there whenever I can. Though it is quite far from me so I don't get to go as often as I like when I do it's always well worth it. My personal favourite dish is ever changing as I like to try different things whenever I go, though I do have a soft spot for octopus and they do it well.

The food is reasonably priced, the staff are always pleasant and have time to offer advice even when they're rushed off their feet. Also, I may be wrong but I belive, on the weekends theu have a meal of the day which is comprised of the freshest available ingredients from the market the day before. (usualy a good choice)

A bit of advice would be to try call ahead to book or just let them know tour on your way, and eont forget test your strength on the bull horns bu the...