Touch of Spain in metro London
While Brexit took the United Kingdom out of the European Union, it couldn’t stop London continuing to morph into more of a European city as its food culture continued to broaden.
Sure, it’s still quintessentially English and critics would argue that it still lacks strong local produce markets but this is strenuously debated by many. Their argument predicated on New Covent Garden Market, Borough Market, Portobello Road Markets and even Chapel Market amongst many others as being right up there.
So, of course they exist, but not seemingly on every corner like the city’s European siblings. Then again, move out of London into the countryside and the local produce markets proliferate on a massive scale as do weekend farmers markets all over the city.
Put bluntly, for many London visitors, their knowledge of the city’s food scene comes down to where’s the nearest Wetherspoons or does Gordon Ramsay run that one?
So rather than generalise about British food and outdated attitudes to its heritage, let’s acknowledge there are now a total of 85 Michelin-starred restaurants in London alone.
Beyond the Michelin stars there’s plenty to choose from but it’s good to have some local knowledge or occasionally hope you stumble across something by happenstance.
One such place is a little slice of Spain found not far from Fulham Broadway tube station named El Metro.
It’s a place with a wee bit of history as it has been open since 1989 and was one of the first restaurants in London to offer outdoor seating.
Bearing this in mind, we took a seat outside on a dark and cold London day. Thank goodness for the outside heaters – and more pertinently for the delicious lemon margaritas we started with to kick things off.
We accompanied the “Margs” with a charcuterie board, as well as some Chorizo Picante – spicy cured sausage to be exact – and some fresh squid rings. It was a tantalising flavourful mix. The chorizo was spicy and peppery and moreish, and the squid was soft, buttery and superb.
Our waiter informed us that we couldn’t leave El Metro without trying the tortilla, a house speciality we were informed. The Spanish omelette is tasty, easy to digest and the kind of dish that leaves the soul feeling warm and content.
Soon margaritas turned to Spanish red, which worked rather well with the paella. It was a solid one. The lovely caramelised burnt charcoal finish scraped off the bottom of the pan, lovely glutenous pieces of fish and squid and the spicy chorizo lent beautifully into the Spanish red on a typically chilly late Winter’s Day in London.
Capping the meal off was a generous serve of Albondiga or meatballs doused in a gorgeous tomato sauce off the tapas menu.
The vibe is fun and playful from the busy festive crowd inside to the mix of eager football focussed pedestrians wandering past (on the day we visited on their way to Chelsea’s nearby Stamford Bridge, which is less than a well-hit cross field pass away).
As for the cuisine, it’s hearty and the service is attentive, interested and keen.
El Metro… it is one of those little secrets that once you visit, you will yearn to visit again.
