Añada is Gertrude Street’s tapas bar. They say that their restaurant is strongly influenced by the peasant food of Andalucia, Southern Spain and the flavours of the Muslim Meditteranean. That may be the case but there is certainly nothing peasantry about the food they serve.

Four of us enjoyed what was a memorable dinner. We started with a couple of tapas plates, Joselito Gran Reserva jamon (36months), along with some local olives, manzanilla, bella di cerignola, ligurian & nocellara. Some beautifully fluffy sourdough bread and olive oil was also brought to the table. This was all washed down with a lovely glass, or two of Spanish Cava.

We then shared some raciones dishes. The Otway Ranges pork belly with fennel seed & smoky aubergine was a winner. The crackling on top of the pork was cooked to perfection whilst the meat was so tender it melted in our mouths. It was matched with chargrilled zucchini, green beans, goats’ cheese & sumac. Next was the slow roasted beef cheek in oloroso with fava bean puree, alongside beetroot, cumin labneh & almonds. We had to ask for extra bread to mop up the juices as nothing was going back to the kitchen…it was all so delicious.

So without too much hesitation we then ordered two desserts with four spoons. Churros with a wickedly rich pot of melted dark chocolate plus pomegranate & orange blossom sorbet with sugared pistachios.

Añada is like something straight out of Madrid but it’s what comes out of the kitchen that brings it to life. We all can’t wait to return!