Sabor

If tapas as a concept now comes in 50 shades of authenticity, Sabor offers something else again. Nieves Barragán and José Etura draw on Spanish culinary traditions from Castile and Galicia to Andalucia in an ingeniously designed – and dynamically popular – venue just off Regent Street. The queues for the no-bookings ground-floor Counter bear witness to the enthusiasm with which Londoners have embraced the idea. Consider the tortilla: toasty exterior, the inside molten but firm, the disc-like shape perfection itself. A flaky lamb empanada with a little salad is a delicate joy, as is the sweetbread in creamy caper gravy, topped with flawlessly timed fried kale. Elsewhere, grilled red peppers and hazelnuts make a sweet foil to a serving of blue goat's cheese. The same strong flavours are also boldly applied to fish dishes such as seared tuna with ajo blanco, or the Spanish-Italian fusion of cuttlefish pappardelle with Manchego and pesto. There might be more goat's cheese for afters, blended in an ice cream and sauced with liquorice, but the chocolate bombas are pretty seductive too. Drink Estrella beer, sherry or something from the excellent Spanish wine list.