My visit to El Pirata was for a team bonding work-do. We were all excited to try this new place out and fill our stomachs. This place was chosen thanks to its close location to Green Park and Hyde Park. Also it has been in Mayfair for half a century - we couldn't miss out on visiting.
Location:
5-6 Down Street, Mayfair, London W1J 7AQ
Atmosphere:
This informal tapas bar with an authentic menu, Iberian wines and informal dark-wood decor puts you at ease. Its soft, dim lighting adds to the relaxed atmosphere. The overall ambience is lively. I went at 7pm and was surprised by just how busy the place was considering the quietness of the street. There are two floors and my group was seated downstairs as we were a party of at least 15. The kitchen is on the ground floor and bustling with noise. In I walked, and I was accompanied by two people who are from Venezuela and the South of Spain. We were met by a wall of delicious aromas and my Spanish friend turned to me and said this place smells like my grandma's kitchen. His statement only encouraged my appetite to build till we were seated.
Food:
I will have to apologise as I wasn't able to grab a picture of the starters as we devoured it without a second thought. For the starter we got a selection of things because we were such a big group.
Pan con ali-oli (bread with a garlic mayonnaise dip)
Pan con tomate/ajo (toasted bread topped with fresh tomato, olive and garlic or garlic bread)
Table de embutidos ibéricos y paté (a selection of serrano ham, cured iberian meats spanish sausage, salchichon and pate)
Table de quesos y membrillo (a selection of four Spanish cheeses manchego, guadamur, mahon and cabrales served with quince jelly)
All the starters were a big hit with us all and I would strongly recommend them. However I can unequivocally say I would sell my soul for some pan con ali-oli. It was delicious and all we smothered on our bread.Â
For our main we had Paella valenciana (a classic Spanish dish of rice, shellfish and chicken). It was delicious, piping hot and we were ravenous so it went down a treat. The rice wasn't overcooked, it was tender. The chicken was cut into small chunks and mixed within the rice. The shellfish was presented layered on top as you can see in the image. The paella was great to eat, however a few found it to be a bit dryer than they were expecting.
Final note:
The staff was friendly and ensured our jugs of sangria were constantly refilled keeping myself and my colleagues very happy. We had drinks, food that didn't take forever to turn up and was yum and a great atmosphere. This may be an issue for others that the music was extremely loud and we had to shout at each other in order to be heard. This was evident the next day at work when I had a croaky voice. However the company and the food have made it so I look back at this night with a smile on my face. Overall I would say this is a great place to eat as you won't be worried about London restaurant extortionate fees and you can enjoy a good valued meal.
Starter | 5/5
Main | 4/5
Drinks | 5/5
Service | 5/5
You can check out El Pirata's website here!