Gastrolad likes no. 2: Fino and Marcona Almonds at Bar Pepito

Those of you who have read my eulogy to Seville, which is lurking somewhere on the blog, will already know how much I enjoyed the tapas bars of Andalucia. How fortunate then to find Bar Pepito, an almost exact replica of a Sevillean tapas bar, just off the Pentonville Road in Kings Cross.

Tiny, with only room for twenty or so punters at the most, it comes complete with exposed brick work; a bar decorated with jamon iberico; and a back wall lined with bottles of sherry and Spanish brandy, so you don't even have to close your eyes to pretend you're in Seville!

I had a couple of hours to fill on Friday night before catching a train up to Yorkshire, so why bother with Giraffe or Pret in Kings Cross Station when I could walk five minutes round the corner and find the Platonic ideal of an Andalucian tapas bar? There, ready and waiting for VD and I, were two free stools tucked away in the corner, and an extensive sherry list to boot.

After a couple of glasses of fino, a bowl of Marcona almonds, some perfectly made pan con tomate and a deconstructed tortilla served in a tumbler, I was more than ready to deal with a couple of hours on the train. Where, in the darkened quiet coach*, I gradually dozed off, dreaming of bull fights, flamenco and €1 glasses of manzanilla.

Ok, maybe I exaggerate, but Bar Pepito is a great place: it feels completely authentic and is just the type of place I kept stumbling on during my Sevillean odyssey back in September. Next time I'm catching a train from Kings Cross I'll make sure to be at least an hour early to fit in another trip, especially as I didn't even get round to trying one of their flights of sherry this time.


Bar Pepito, 3 Varnishers Yard, Kings Cross, N1 9FD

020 7841 7331

*they'd run out of pound coins for the meter...

Gastrolad likes no. 1: Asparagus and Lincolnshire Chine

Welcome reader, to this, the first in a new series of posts I'm entitling "Gastrolad likes". In addition to all the usual  restaurant reviews and recipes I post here, I intend "Gastrolad likes" to be an ever expanding collection of shorter entries on food (and possibly other) related things that I have come across and enjoyed. Whether that is a recent restaurant review in The Times, a blog post, magazine article, recipe, restaurant, cook book, or even my lunchtime sandwich.

To get us started here's last night's dinner...

Asparagus is coming into season at the moment and while in Stamford in Lincolnshire over the weekend I picked up a couple of skinny bunches for the relatively bargain price of three quid. Pairing the asparagus with some Lincolnshire chine, a fried egg and some toast, it made for a delicious dinner.

Lincolnshire chine is a delicacy particular to that part of the world, and the type of traditional, regional foodstuff that people get very hot under the collar about these days. It is essentially a raw ham into which pockets have been cut, stuffed with chopped parsley and then cooked. It is our own version of that French classic jambon persillé and well worth seeking out if you are in the locality and can find a decent butcher that stocks it.

p.s. I'm going to add a page at the top which will provide an index of all the "Gastrolad likes" posts for easy access.

Rhubarb and Aperol Trifle

"...don't overcook the rhubarb so it turns to complete mush - like a politician, you want the stems to maintain their integrity!"

Restaurant review: Bubbledogs

n.b. This is not a Bubbledogs hotdog!
Nicknacks | © Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

"The bun was cheap, pappy and had insufficient backbone to hold everything together – it required Maggie and they sent out DC instead..."

Easter baking: Simnel Cake

"After last year’s Colomba Pasquale, I had considered going even further afield in search of an Easter recipe: a Russian kulich for example. On reflection though, I decided that you can’t beat a good old simnel cake..."

Solitary Suppers No.1 - Spiced Scrambled Eggs

"there are fairly compelling arguments for not putting your trust in the supermarkets and their suppliers, and not just because you might end up eating Black Beauty..."

Restaurant review: Green Man and French Horn

"...the only consolation was the stonking good looks of the female doctors and nurses, who, I somehow managed to impress with my GCSE French and spotty, teenage good looks."

Forfar Bridies and Mr Kipling Apple Pies – in search of a decent cricket tea

"The story of the finest tea to have been experienced by any cricketer of my acquaintance does not take place in the green and leafy shires of England; instead, our journey takes us north of the border..."

Restaurant review: Brasserie Zédel

"It’s at times like these that I recall some of Michael Winner's many words of wisdom: you're not just booking a restaurant, you're booking a table in a restaurant, and some tables are more equal than others"

Bodysgallen Hall

Before Christmas I had the chance to take a trip up to deepest, darkest North Wales to write a hotel review for The Arbuturian. My destination was Bodysgallen Hall,  a country house hotel between Conwy and Llandudno, which is owned by the National Trust. So while a weekend away there might not be the cheapest, at least you know your money is going to a good place!

If you would like to read the review, and you should because it's a good one, it can be found here on The Arb.

A la prochaine....