I had only just recently heard of the new Spanish taberna that had opened in Al Barsha Heights and wanted to go and check it out, as Spanish food was not one of our regular go-to cuisines whilst in Dubai. My main experience with Spanish food is from visiting my cousin and his Spanish wife in Barcelona and getting the cuisine done in traditional style.
I had actually not been to a Spanish restaurant in the UAE since the early heyday of Seville’s at Wafi City back in the very early 2000s. However, we had missed lunch on this particular day and took the opportunity to go and sample some tapas to tie us down before dinner.
The one thing I am accustomed to and love is rustic bread brushed with a garlic clove and smeared with a section of juicy tomato (as is done in my family) with a drizzle of olive oil. This was the first thing I insisted we order when I saw it on the menu. My cousin’s version still stands strong for me, but this version of Pa amb Tomàquet has a good serving of tomato puree on a crunchy slice of bread with a side dish of olive oil, which we recommend pairing with the board of Mixed Iberian Charcuterie.
Both being lovers of anchovies, we chose the Anchovies from the Cantabric & Catalan Escalivada (Smoky Grilled Vegetables) which were one of the tapas we liked the most. We also ordered the Andalusian Style Calamari with Aioli which were fried to perfection and still lovely and tender, and we tried both the Croquetas De Jamón Ibérico (Iberian Ham) and De Gambas (Prawns). We recommend just opting for the ham croquettes, as creamy puréed prawn was a bit too ‘out there’ for us!
To end our selection of tapas, we decided to order one of the Spanish sandwiches, and opted for the Raw Cured Pork Sausage from Mallorca, Honey & Mahon Cheese, but it was not a highlight for us. However, this is one we will revisit to try one of the sharing Paellas. Nothing ventured, nothing gained…
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