José — Restaurant in London

Location is easy to find, nice side street 10 mins walk from London Bridge. Hospitality top notch, attentive, we didn't feel rushed to order, warm energy from the front of house, and food and drinks were served timely. Seating is cozy in a sense that it did feel like being back in a Spanish tapas bar, just enough room for the food and drinks but still comfortable enough to chat and hear each other without having to yell. High chairs at the bar was a great spot to watch the food being made fresh, the amazing bread being toasted- I enjoyed watching the back of the house whip out dish after dish like clockwork. Food was balanced, rounded, well made, seasoned to perfection, and there was intent at every bite. It might have just urged me to visit Spain sooner than planned. We had pluma, pork iberico on toast, cod fritters, patron peppers, shrimp dish, bread with lovely fuity and fresh house olive oil with balsamin, and, of course, jamon iberico. Drinks- we had vermouth and juice- fairly priced and complementary to the food we had. Price was fairly decent for a Bermondsey tapas bar and for the quality + service that I honestly could not fault. Wasn't able to try their cocktails but they had classics with a Spanish twist. We tried the rosemary cheesecake which was surprisingly wonderful and light. Ate it so fast that I forgot to take a photo.

I would definitely go again and would be happy to try the other offerings as they change their menu seasonally. Also, when I'm missing Spain, this would be a place to relive Spanish tapas scene, delicacies, and...

We entered rather late in the evening and were pleasantly surprised at polite information to wait just ten minutes. The bar was full, tables occupied and the place was abuzz with the chatter and loud laughter that only great food and good wines/cocktails bring forth. We were quickly shown to the last available bar stools with a long-ish table. Our Spanish friend ordered quickly and well for us: the usual patatas bravas but with a wicked roasted tomato and paprika spiced creamy dip, fried balls flavoured with squid ink and with prawns were superb and melt in the mouth, the tortilla was the cursory nod to a tapas spread, the anchovies drenched in olive oil were meltingly flavourful especially on and with the pan con tomate which we reordered. The charcoal infused bun sandwiched a generous amount of perfectly grilled calamari so eating seemed indulgent with aioli and calamari oozing out. Of course needless to say the Iberico jamon in wafer thin slivers were barely chewed and just melted away on the tongue leaving a slight salty meaty flavour one longed for again. There were padron peppers and all of this aided by glasses of Rioja and an Espana Negroni with a heck of a kick! Tapas tastes best in crowded loud spaces with the sound of happy well fed people around you, super fast yet polite service and lots of plates shared in a most interactive way. Jose tapas bar went beyond fun finger foods. There was a gastronomic edge to the dishes that’s had us planning another feast there! Till...

Disappointing experience – doesn't live up to the hype

The initial welcome was promising: despite the queue, we were quickly offered drinks and handed menus to make our choices before being seated. We were also kindly reminded that dining time is limited to 90 minutes – a detail that makes sense given the popularity of the place.

In our case, we were seated at the bar, which offered a front-row view of the kitchen. While that might sound appealing, I’d honestly rather not have had the insight. Watching food being prepared in such cramped and overheated conditions was uncomfortable at best. For instance, a leg of jamón stood directly on the cooking surface, slowly melting from the combined heat of the grill and toaster surrounding it. When our jamón finally arrived, the fat was translucent instead of the creamy white it should be – a clear sign it had been sitting too close to the heat for far too long.

The dishes themselves were fine, some even tasty – but certainly not worth the price. Portions were small, and while flavour wasn’t the issue, the overall value just didn’t match the reputation. It felt like we were paying for the hype, not the food.

Service was distant and impersonal, and considering we were seated at the bar with limited interaction, the mandatory 13.5% service charge felt excessive.

In short, it’s a place that might dazzle at first glance but fails to deliver on closer inspection. A...