Donostia

As we say in Malay, ‘bak cendawan tumbuh selepas hujan’ which translates to ‘like mushrooms sprouting after the rain’. The tapas culture has hit London like a storm. I am constantly on the lookout for good tapas places, not only for food but for the wine, atmosphere and people too.

Tucked in a little side street that connects at Seymour Place with Upper Berkeley Street in Marylebone, Donostia joined the London tapas arena early this year. Initially visiting on a friend’s recommendation, I have since been there many times and can say it has been one of my favourite places to go of late. If you like Barrafina and Jose’s in London you will love it too.

Donostia, which is Basque for San Sebastian, offers the first authentic Cocina Vasca (Basque Cuisine) in London and needless to say, the food is delicious and beautifully crafted by head chef, Thomas Baranski. For all whom do not recognise this name, Thomas is the former head chef of Barrafina also worked at Fino and Brindisa. To top it all, Thomas’s not only trained, but excelled in Urepel, one of the most respected restaurants in San Sebastian, Spain.

Donostians (people of San Sebastian) are gastronomes, they love their food, love cooking it, talking about it and eating it. This is how I felt being in Donostia, they have a passion for their food, they love to discuss their food, they want to know what you think about the food, they serve it well and cook it phenomenally.

Donostia offers a daily menu of the more famous Basque dishes, to name a few; croquettes, tortilla bacalao, pil-pil and Jamon (from the Basque Kintoa pig), specials are introduced daily. Basque cooking it’s an art in itself, authentically Spanish, traditional and with a touch of modernism. Basque cooking is a cultural, historic and economic revolution in Spain. It was in 1975, when the traditional heavy and creamy food was refined, modernised, and experimented with by chefs who were influenced by the finesse of French cooking from the north, resulting in elegantly crafted Spanish cuisine.

Basque cuisine may at times seem to have combinations that sound outright sinful, but that it is why it stands out, it’s unique; its art and with the right chef it is a masterpiece. However, it is yet to achieve its deserved acclaim and has yet to get the attention it deserves. What better way to start spreading the word than in the exuberant city of gastronomic varieties and culture of London.

The wines are no less interesting and are handpicked by the co-owners Melody Adams and Nemanja Borjanovic (who also owns Mountain Valley Wines).They provide regional Spanish wines that compliment the food and stimulates the curiosity, especially if you have palette for regional Spanish wine, like I do.

I love my Spanish wines, especially the regional ones. When I was in Spain, I was fortunate enough to try different regional wines. Most of these wines never make its way to import market; so you can imagine how exciting it was glancing through the wine list. What they have in Donostia are wines that you never knew existed. From fresh, round, fruity, and bold; they complement the different varieties of food, your palate and even your mood.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do; as they say. In this case, when in Donostia, do as the Donostians do and have a txakoli. A green, slightly sparkling, dry white wine poured from great height into a tumbler. Now, this was the first for me. I loved the idea and enjoyed this ‘spritzy’ white wine. A definite must try.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my visits to Donostia for the food, the wine and the staff. Sometimes I feel I am in one of those famous and often spoken about gastronomic clubs of San Sebastian ‘txokos’; where you cook, eat and talk about the food. Well, I am undoubtedly not cooking there (that’s a shame, what better what to enjoy the food you love than by cooking it yourself), but the experience being in Donostia is very much like a being a Donostian yourself.
Comment on this reader review

TheHungryBea
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Dining out can be hard work, especially with your 'better half'. First you've got to agree on a place, then agree on food (she seems to like choosing my meal for me, as well as her own), then there's the constant harassment from staff and the inevitable argument with the missus over the bill. It's almost always an underwhelming experience. The only times I've enjoyed the myself seem to be those occasions of 'happenstance', an accidental discovery of something special.

Which leads me to Donostia.

Stumbled upon in the oh so suave 'Portman Village', Donostia cuts a modest but sleek image on the street. I'm a big fan of Spanish cuisine and Tapas (isn't everybody?) so the site of hanging meats and Jamon is a mating call to my belly. This will do nicely.

The tables were fully booked, but after a small wait some space freed up at the bar (The owner, Melody, was kind enough to come outside and let us know) and we were in. It seems the bar is where the action's at anyway, the open kitchen offering up sights of delectable food-stuffs being fried, boiled, steamed and sliced. The smell alone is enough to get me chomping at the bit.

The bar staff were welcoming, helpful and most importantly, inobtrusive. Wine was ordered immediately, Rioja, I'm unsure of the name, but it was definitely red and most certainly good. I'm no wine connoisseur, sue me. When it comes to food though, I know where it's at.

The food then. Oh my gentle Jesus. I went for the 'clean sweep' manoeuvre and ordered one of everything, one must be brave when breaking in a new restaurant. I was met with a veritable delight of flavours. The Croquetas were the stuff of dreams but the crowning jewel has to be the Pluma, A pork fillet with Romesco sauce. Who knew pig could taste this good.

The thing that makes Donostia though is more than the food, the drink, the trendy location or the spot-on interior. It's the enthusiasm that is given off by the owners Melody and her boyfriend (sorry, I forget his name). They are obviously in this for the love of food and wine and it's a great thing to behold. Especially as even though the place was swamped, they still found time to chat to my girlfriend and I about the restaurant and their adventures in the Basque region of Spain whilst bringing their dream to fruition. I've never felt less like an 'ass in a seat'.

So yeah. Donostia. Officially not hard work.
Comment on this reader review

Daniel McAuley-Burnett
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Friday, July 06, 2012

Well! What a treat...

I visited shortly after it's first opening and like so many brand new restaurants where one expects a few hick ups along the way, I was delighted to find this simply wasn't the case. The ambience when you walk in is cool, fresh and very jolly. My friend and I were first greeted by a lovely hostess who warmingly welcomed us and asked if we wanted a table or if we'd prefer to sit at the bar directly overlooking the open plan kitchen. This was a no-brainer for me, as given the opportunity to see the preparation of food is something I really enjoy. There were only two stools left to grab and with people waiting in line behind, there was no hesitation. Once sat down we were amongst our fellow diners and of course the chefs who were very busy with all sorts of exciting food. One in particular who was artistically carving a huge ham, we later learnt to be 'JABUGO' (hand carved jamon, 3 years aged and very tasty!)

I had an immediate feeling of 'cheers' as smiles from other customers at the bar were shared in an almost all too familiar way, but it only added to the feeling one gets when they first sit down in a new and potentially great place.

Time for drinks! We decided to shoot the locks off, the mood and setting was just right. Donostia offer a quality selection of wines. After a short debate with my friend and the chap manning the bar, I chose 'Capricho de Landaluce Rioja' and it certainly didn't disappoint. So much so by the end of the evening we'd a bottle each, luckily for us the stools were secured firmly to the floor and I'm happy to say no falling off took place (on this occasion).

After delicately sipping my wine, my friend turned to me and asked what I wanted to eat. Now, I do love tapas having frequented many of the best and worst in London, but I often find the selection process a bit of a bore. So many small plates and by and large it's always the same. Well, not today. Donostia offers a simple, elegantly put together selection of dishes with mouth watering effects. All clearly illustrated on one A4 page, keeping the need for concentration to an absolute minimum (a must have after a long day in the office and coming ever closer to finishing that first drink) Hmm. We'd shot the locks off with the wine, could we justify pulling the trigger yet again. Following a short, but almost revolutionary catch of the eye with my fellow diner, the ordering began...

I could go into graphic detail about what we experienced here, but instead I'll simply say everything we ate was very good and there wasn't much on the menu we didn't order. However, there were some truly excellent dishes that I'd highly recommend to anyone planning on visiting Donastia. Foie gras with walnuts & PX vinegar, Tempura prawns w/Bayonne ham, mango - Both these dishes are from the PINXTO selection and talk about being left wanting more, so of course more was ordered! JABUGO found under "Cold Plates"  which practically melts on the tongue was mind blowingly good and thoroughly enjoyed. This dish doesn't come cheap, but if you're looking for extreme quality and a tantalising tasting experience then don't hold back. ARROZA: Grilled sea bass and TORTILLA BACALAO: Classic potato egg omelette with cod were again dishes that really stood out, whereby multiple ordering was unavoidable.

Now! The MEAT! I like to think of myself as a bit of a caveman whereby if the need arose and there was nothing left to eat on the planet, I could comfortably eat thy neighbour. Luckily in this instance there was lots to eat and thy neighbour/good friend would have been far too saturated in Rioja to really appreciate. PLUMA: Pork fillet with romesco sauce was to die for. I loved this dish. Succulent, pink with infinite taste. We also shared TXULETA: O'sheas rib-eye steak with foie gras (optional, we had it) which was full of flavour and depth. None of this would have been right without PATATAK: Crisp fries with brava sauce. They were cooked just right with a small crunch and soft middle. The way we like it! We polished off the night with a glass of Sidra/Basque Natural Cider this is very impressively poured from great height and was swished at speed.

So! All in all what to say... Donostia offers an unforgettable dinning experience. By the end of the evening we'd made new friends, were sufficiently stuffed and POSSIBLY a little more then merry. Very much looking forward to joining them for dinner next week. Unfortunately, couldn't get a table last week as they were fully booked. Makes perfect sense given how great my experience was and the many wonderful reviews that have been written over the last few weeks. Hurry up and get to Donostia if you're looking for something excellent and that bit different!
Comment on this reader review

James Widdowson - View all reviews by this user
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, July 06, 2012

Generally an informal compact dining spot with a very contemporary feel.

Basque style tapas were decent but not amazing as you find in San Sebastian Spain. Cod cheeks were overrated – 6/10. Pork Shoulder excellent and made perfectly 9/10 and pigeon executed well 8/10 as was the prawn with mango. Didn't try tortilla or tongue. The rest of our tapas selection were the normal everywhere tapas at most tapas restaurants including chorizo (much better elsewhere), croquettes (very good and full of fat), char grilled peppers, anchovies but slightly more expensive than other places.

Bill came to £80 for two including 3 glasses of wine. White wine selection in glasses not great, red slightly better.

My overall rating would be 7/10.
Comment on this reader review

7 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Sunday, July 01, 2012

Wonderful Basque cuisine. As good if not better than the legendary Barrafina. It's no surprise then that the chef used to work at the latter.

Starters were jamon croquettas and marinated octopus. The croquettas were perfectly cooked, crispy on the inside, meltingly soft inside. The octopus came on a stick on bread - a tad sparing with the portions and nothing to write home about.

Mains was where Donostia's class emerged. First came the pork fillets with romesco sauce. The dish looked plain but the blend of flavours and the juiciness of the meat stood out. Excellent start then. Next was Pil-Pil, cod cheeks with a Basque sauce. As I was seated in front of the kitchen I admired the subtlety and ingenuity in making this dish. It was creamy, sweet and salty with a lovely aroma.

Tortilla with cod and spinach was on par with that of Barrafina's. Perfectly cooked with a liquid eggy mixture when cut. Another stand-out was the stuffed squid with chorizo and prawns. The squid was grilled perfectly and the stuffing oozed out when cut. It was excellent paired with the ink sauce that accompanied the dish.

We didn't have space for dessert after all the food though the lemon tart looked really interesting. The hand-poured cider and wines were of also highly enjoyable. Go before the crowds start discovering this little restaurant!
Comment on this reader review

JonC - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, June 18, 2012

Delicious! What a cute little place! My friends and I gorged ourselves on the tapas last week. I'm already fixing dates in the diary to go back there! My personal favourite being the pork filet with a delicious tangy tomato and almond sauce followed VERY closely by the cod omelette which sounded a little odd to me at first, but after trying my friend's plate I ended up ordering another one for myself!! Lovely place for a fun evening with friends if you're into VERY good carefully prepared food... Quite looking forward to going back and trying the rest of the menu!
Comment on this reader review

Donohue
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, June 11, 2012