Jamon Jamon Belsize Park — Restaurant in London

My experience at this establishment left much to be desired. The initial disappointment began when I was charged £3 for a mere four bite-sized pieces of bread that teetered on the verge of staleness. The food served was mediocre at best, but it was the drinks that genuinely failed to meet expectations.

I found the sangria to be remarkably bland and uninspiring, leading me to switch to the tinto de Verano in hopes of a better experience. Unfortunately, this choice proved to be even more disappointing. The tinto de Verano arrived without ice, and it was evident that the mixing proportions were off, resulting in a drink that was far from refreshing.

In my honest opinion, I would hesitate to recommend this place to others. If anything, I would suggest considering other options in Belsize Square or Hampstead Village, where you're likely to encounter better value and overall quality. Having spent many years in Spain and being deeply familiar with the culture and its culinary landscape, I feel that this establishment falls short in truly reflecting the essence of Spanish hospitality...

Lovely local restaurant opposite Belsize Park station. Intimate and had that Spanish feel with the dark wooden decor. Clean. Staff were lovely and very friendly. Really nice. Good menu of tapas, paella and more. I was just one person and portions were huge. I went with the paella marinera (mixed seafood paella). You can order to size for 1 person or 2 people. Even for 1 person, the portion was huge! You do need to wait 30 minutes if ordering this or longer if it is busy but I didn't mind the wait. I enjoyed my drink, the music and atmosphere. When the paella did arrive, it was beautifully presented and so good. Felt like being back in Spain. The seafood and flavours worked well. I really enjoyed it. I would go back with friends. Spanish dining is better with other people so you can order a bigger variety of tapas and other items. Reasonably priced given the area. Good service, delicious food and a lovely evening to end the week. ...

On the 18th September, two weeks ago.

I absolutely loved the tapas here. The food was absolutely delicious, the squid, paella, chorizo, Jamon Serrano was an absolute delight.

However,

It was my birthday and the manager was absolutely lovely (he was bald and tall) On the hand hand, the waiter (short guy with glasses) who initially served us was really miserable and downcast, he seemed extremely reluctant to serve us and would not explain the dishes properly. Extremely stroppy.

It was a real shame as it kind of spoilt my birthday. We ordered two bottles of champagne and he literally chucked on the table and left. We were really lucky that the manager served us for the rest of evening as he was really really sweet.

I would hope his service next is more accommodating next to people as it was not cheap. Hopefully he can find another job he enjoys working in but he for sure is not happy...