Tapas Brindisa

Having had a good meal at their Soho outpost, we decided to grab a quick lunch at the Borough Market original when the menu at nearby Elliot's failed to inspire. Thanks to its location, this place is always packed full of local suits, tourists and market-visitors, so perhaps we should have known better than to expect anything outstanding.

The food was fine, but then we ordered things that rely on sourcing rather than kitchen prowess - a charcuterie selection, cheese, padron peppers, etc. The cheese arrived with an oddly runny and gritty quince accompaniment - such a shame when their shop sells such lovely membrillo. The tepid patatas bravas resembled day-old roasties tossed in tomato puree. We ordered aioli to pep them up but the overly ferocious whack of garlic didn't help.

Service was lazy, inattentive and forgetful. Our waitress delivered wine instead of cava and then disappeared. An order of croquetas was forgotten entirely and no one asked if everything was alright until it was time for us to tip.

While it wasn't entirely bad, we should most definitely have gone to Jose instead and we would never return. Elliot's on the same street is much better and if you want a quick lunch, you are better off with street food in the market itself.
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-K- - View all reviews by this user
4 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Monday, March 26, 2012

I went to this restaurant on good recommendation. A pleasant meal was spoilt by the following.

Mussels dish. Four out of twelve mussels were completely closed. We ate the eight good ones and asked the waitress about the other four. She said she would replace them. After a long wait nothing happened and when asked again she said she had spoken to the kitchen who didn't feel they needed to provide four mussels as we had eaten the other eight! I didnt want to make further fuss and embarrass my guests.

I settled the £90 bill for a very light meal for three and left feeling that the lack of grace had spoiled things.
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Peter Dickens
4 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 4
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Great ham, great wine, friendly chatty waiter. Got a table the second we walked through the door.
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SCF - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 4
Friday, April 29, 2011

They don't take reservations so we called in yesterday, a party of five and we were told that our table would be ready in just over an hour. My friends were keen on staying (I certainly wouldn't have stayed that long to eat in El Buli) so we ordered some olives and wine and waited. People came and went, smaller parties were seated before us because the only table they would give us had 5 people chatting over water and comparing books. After nearly and hour an a half we were tired of waiting and feeling cheated as we knew at that point that we had no other option but to wait as it was nearly nine in the evening. Hungry and defeated, we waited until our table was ready. When we finally were seated, we ate our tiny portions of overpriced food voraciously and tried to enjoy the rest of a ruined evening. Then we called the manager. We informed him that we would not pay the service charge but offered him to offset the amount off our bill, if he wanted, so his waiters would be paid. He quickly, quietly whispered, 'that's ok' and simply took the service off. Brindisa is now a money-grabbing tourist trap which could not care less about their customers thus visit the place at your own peril.
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Maria
2 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 2
Tuesday, March 08, 2011

I arrived at 7:30 pm on a Friday (they don't take reservations), we where seated at 9:20. Luckily my dining partner ran a bit late so i was happy to go to the pub across the road which lead to a few glasses of wine and some awesome wasabi nuts (the culinary highlight of the evening). Mainly we didn't go anywhere else due to the lack of other restaurants in the area. So after more than 90min of wait we where finally seated.

We chose because for a very long time I would walk, jog past, visit the market and think, ah it looks such a busy and lovely place... Surely it must be a great. Well its not.

The staff was friendly enough, as helpful as staff in a very very busy restaurant can be. The average red wine on the menu was about £20 so not really a easy going, relaxed, table wine kinda place.

We ordered 5 tapas between two and was hungry after. I started with lame dry bread and ended with highly overpriced tiny portion cheese. In between we were treated to black rice and calamari was 3 rings of dry, battered calamari on a pile of soggy black rice. Half a bowl full of tiny steamed mussels in a very salty white wine and fresh herbs broth. Some chorizo, potato and pepper omelette with alioli without any chorizo served very chilled and dry. The only tasty part of the evening (aside from the wasabi nuts) was the Iberian ham croquettes. Tasty.

We where still hungry so after the food we decided to opt for the 'Selection of regional Spanish cheeses with toast £ 13.75'. Now don't get me wrong. I am not a whole chicken swallowing, rugby playing giant. I am a average girl with an healthy appetite but seriously. Why the frikkin tiny portions. If you would charge less I would be less annoyed.

In total the evening cost us £73. We shared a bottle of table wine, had 4 tapas dishes and a cheese platter and was charged £1 for a glass of tap water.

Go if you have more money than sense. An over rated restaurant. I guess its location close to borough market makes for a 'foodie' experience but in my opinion I'd rather opt for a Nandos and get what I pay for. A disappointing night of dining, to say the least.
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NLG
2 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Saturday, March 05, 2011

I agree, this once fantastic place is slowly going downhill, popped in Saturday afternoon for some tapas and had trouble ordering, two dishes arrived after we had paid the bill and were ready to leave! Nothing was said, no apology offered. The dishes just didn't seem as good as before and lets not forget this is an expensive tapas bar. I know it will do well because of location but genuinely I don't see myself rushing back and I used to love this place. Its definitely lost its way now that Jose has left.
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AJ - View all reviews by this user
6 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Where is Pizarro? We are missing you! Where are you... Please come back

Still the same menu, but 0 in food and 2 in service... just a money machine they don't care any more.... NOT good

Brindisa is over
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- View all reviews by this user
1 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, August 19, 2010

I am a big fan of Borough market and have wanted to try "Tapas Brindisa" for some time. Recent trips to market have been frustrated by weekend work on the Jubilee line. However as luck would have it the Visa agents who were sorting out my passport for a business trip to India and Bangladesh were up by London Bridge. So timing a trip up there to coincide with lunchtime my colleague Dave and I decided to grab a bite of tapas on our way back to the office as this was quick and easy. I was also interested to see how this measured up to my very nice meal at "Iberica" on Great Portland St.

"Tapas Brindisa" has a very old school feel to it, the room is wood pannelled and the simple tables are packed tight together. the long bar up agaisnt the kitchen dominates the room. When turned up at half one it was pretty full but they found as a table at the back for two. We ordered a couple of beers and I selected a selection of tapas. The usual, charcutery plate, tortilla, croquettes, cheese, bread salad and some garelic prawns. It all came pretty quickly. It has to be said it was all very nice. My favourite was the prawns as I mopped up the garlic and chilli oil with the bread.

Looking around I could see there was a good mix of people in here. Lots of local office workers, a few tourists and even a new mum with a baby my son's age. The very efficient staff darted around keeping everyone fed and happy. I really liked it in here it perhaps wasn't a place to linger but I think that is missing the point of lunctime tapas. As a place for a quick bite but with top quality food you can't fault it. The closeness of the tables gives the room a really nice buzz. It was different in feel to "Iberica" but the food was on a par. It's not cheap but good tapas in London never is. I would certainly go back again though with what we were charged to get our visas I'm not sure I will be using the same agents for my next trip!
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david ginsberg - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, August 18, 2010

I love Brindisa. In fact I would go as far to say it's my favourite restaurant in London. I love the laid back approach, jostling at he bar with a glass of wine whilst waiting for your table, the buzz of the staff alone is worth it. To me, it feels like you're in Madrid, not SE London! The food is tasty and authentic and I know I'm guaranteed a great meal and a fun time whenever we go there.
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Brixton Bird - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Good food, but shame they don't take reservations.

I tried going there on a Tuesday evening at 8pm and was told that there'd be an hour wait for a table, so I tried again on a Thursday evening at 6.30pm. This time, I was told that the next table available would only be in 2 hours' time. Luckily my friends had arrived earlier and got a table booked for 8pm. We went to the nearby Bedales for a drink and promptly returned at 8pm. It was closer to 9pm by the time we were seated.

Overall, I like the food at Brindisa, but the hassle of having to wait more than 2 hours for a table overwhelmingly not to recommend it for most times of the week. If you have to try Brindisa, I'd suggest perhaps lunch Mondays to Wednesdays or Sunday dinners. Otherwise, like they say, there are plenty more fish in the sea.
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Helen
6 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 6
Monday, July 19, 2010