Si Hombre! Was… BLACK PIG WITH WHITE PEARLS — Restaurant in London

Before ‘¡Si, Hombre!’ (“Yes Man!”) there was “the black pig with pearls”, on this site, which I had enjoyed frequenting for a decade.

The owner has had astonishing success in reinventing that modern Spanish incarnation: it’s now a Spanish / Caribbean fusion which delivers with mighty depth and flavours in dishes like ‘Rabo de Toro’ (/Ox Tail Rice)- long, slow cooked braised oxtail that falls off the bone, accompanied by a rice of paella consistency cooked in the very deep, bone stock derived from the preparation of the meat.

Of course, there are recognisable Spanish dishes to accompany, and plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. The succulent baked Aubergine went down a treat….

They are patient with their dishes and the flavour reflects this- depth is the word.

As with previous incarnation of this spot, the creativity on display here in combination with the fantastic, genuinely Spanish ingredients make this a special place to enjoy a take on modern Spanish cuisine, but here made by Spanish hands, and now with more than a nod to the Caribbean where Hispanic culture is also firmly rooted.

It is a welcome change from other local fare where good looking plates that are light in the tummy and heavy in the pocket- not here! The range is excellent.

The guys behind this place incredibly friendly and accommodating, and clearly have great pride in what they do and the service they provide. There’s an event space downstairs, too. It’s a cosy venue that caters for larger groups. There are often birthdays and parties on downstairs, but it never seems to be a problem for us, when dining in the restaurant. They also have a chilli infused, tequila based cocktail which rocks… I recommend it, and get it every time to warm the cockles as I peruse the menu, which often changes.

Most importantly, I cannot stress enough: the food...

Thank god we ordered through deliveroo, who gave us a full refund for what was an absolute joke of a meal. For £43 we ordered 5 tapas. The food was delivered late, 1 dish wasn't delivered, everything was cold and the quality of the food was abysmal.

The quantity of food was laughable; £7 = 4 small potato croquettes, £9 = 4 small pieces of chorizo on a bed of soggy mashed potato, £9 = 10 very small slices of "iberico" ham (actually just looked/tasted like parma ham to me), £9 = 6 pieces of small, soggy fried calamari on some damp iceberg lettuce. Obviously I cant comment on the squid ink rice with calamari as we didn't receive it but i'm sure it would have been as disappointing as everything else

The quality of the food was very low too, so it's not even like there was a premium paid for decent food.

I have no idea how this restaurant has picked up anything above a 1 star review. This place is a complete rip-off that serves well below standard food. I would definitely...

Love this place! My partner and some friends went there for dinner and really enjoyed it. Delicious food, excellent wine and then a good chat with the owners who are great guys. It's a really special place, probably the only Spanish restaurant I've been to in London that genuinely captures the fun, welcoming, relaxed vibe of being in Spain.

In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we ended up throwing our wedding party there a few months later. Everything about the planning and the day itself were amazing and this is all thanks to the hard work and thought that the team there put in. It's a great party venue as well as a restaurant. Whilst getting 100 of our closest friends and family into one room to celebrate was always going to be fun, the venue took that the next level with their care and support and fun atmosphere. They even created some delicious cocktails for the occasion.

Could not recommend this place...