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...