World Cup Cuisine – Spanish Tapas at Tendido Cuatro

A bit of a break with tradition here; we decided to go out and eat something Spanish instead of cooking. We decided tapas was a good idea, and immediately thought to visit our local branch of Lola Rojo, which we have been to before and really enjoyed. However, it was closed due to it being a Monday. Which was disappointing, but turned out to be a good thing because it forced us to be more imaginative. Initially we thought of somewhere else nearby which we have also been to, but decided that it wasn’t as good. Then we thought of Casa Brindisa in South Kensington which is a little further away, but is really good. Again, we had been there though.

Then Kerri thought of somewhere else in South Kensington that someone had recommended… and as it turned out, they had a branch in Fulham nearer to us too… Tendido Cuatro. It did strike us just how many places there were to get good tapas.

We briefly toyed with the idea of ordering a main dish each or a paella to share but the tapas list was so tempting that we opted to order a selection of small dishes instead. This happens every time we eat Spanish food so it was inevitable really, the food was so good though that we are both determined to go back and try the paella soon.

Shortly after finishing a glass of sherry, we started with some marinated anchovies which were served with a selection of breads. These were beautifully soft and melty with a generous heap of garlic to compliment the intense fishy flavour.

As we were finishing these, out came the jamon. The flavour was good but we both agreed that the slices were a little too thick. Not that we let that stop us clearing the plate. Some Manchego was required here really but we foolishly over-looked that while ordering.

Next up was some tuna tartare with avocado served with an avocado puree and herring roe. This was very good, the avocado worked well with the tuna and there was just enough lime juice to cut through the fatty fish without over-powering it. Not a particularly appetising dish visually but probably our favourite of the night.

Of course, we had to have the pulpo. Stephen enjoyed this more than I did, the heavy-handed paprika felt very dusty in my mouth and made for a strange combination with the oil. I liked the addition of potatoes here to bulk out the dish but Stephen muttered something about authenticity which led me to believe he wasn’t so keen.

And finally, baby lamb chops with padron peppers. A big success, juicy and moist with a great chargrilled flavour and just perfect with the padron peppers. We were going to order a side dish of padron peppers but decided against it when we saw this dish included them. How I wish we hadn’t been so silly as we ended up fighting over these they were so good.

Aside from the good food, the waiting staff were friendly and attentive without being pushy. As we were about to leave they presented us with a tray of liquers from which we chose a complimentary drink. Not a great idea on a school night but a lovely way to finish the evening and a reminder of how things are done in Spain and should be done everywhere.

Tendido Cuatro
108-110 New Kings Road
Parsons Green
London
SW6 4LY