Renske Hostyn
The food was great and our server was really nice! Real Spanish food. Great atmosphere and amazing service. The server really knew his stuff.
Teresa Silveira
Upscale Spanish inspired menu. It’s a nice restaurant with good decor. Service could have been slightly better, we were kept waiting by the door for a long time despite having a reservation. The food is great, really recommend the croquettes and the rice!
Mark Melbourne
Delicious food, great service and nice atmosphere. It's not cheap but it is really really tasty.
Kelly Garcia Moran
I should have taken more photos of our food! It was all so good, I didn't make time to stop for pictures. Anthony was our server and he was excellent! Totally made our entire experience. His recommendations were amazing. Sangria cava, croquetas Jamon, ensaladillla rusa, gamba aljillo and the pork chimichurri all knocked it out of the park. We love tapas. We will talk about this meal and our amazing server for decades!
Deirdre Costello
Nice Spanish restaurant if you’re looking for a more ‘high end’ dining experience. Our waiter Sergey was attentive and friendly. Staff very kindly treated us to some special extras as it was a Birthday celebration.
R K
Impeccable food, attentive staff: all round a really nice place for a meal
francesco Cortese
The resturant is very nice. Staff are amazing. Food is great, infact lots of Spanish eat here. Had prowns in garlic sauce as a starter and the small peace of cochinijo which was very filling a d tasty. Tried also from our table, the Solomillo iberico (amazing) and Steak tartar (best ever tried) where amazing
Matt Hawrot
Great food, great service and great experience. Highly recommended for anyone who loves good quality Spanish food and wines. It might be a bit pricey but definitely worth it
Faith Eales
Wow really really nice food. And the decor of the place is cool, the floor tiles are awesome. Wine was very tasty too. Expensive place but then that's why its so nice I suppose!
J H
You can't go wrong :) I used to eat here regularly, pre-CoViD, and have always loved the food, wines, staff and ambiance. This was my first visit in years ...
I was very pleased to see that the company, menu, execution, service and ambience have all survived the ravages of COVID lockdown - although the front of house staff have pretty much all changed (my best wishes to my old friends, wherever you are!). I notice they are hiring for a CdC - I hope that goes well; meantime, the kitchen seemed to be delivering perfectly for my visit!
Although I'm not sure they mention it anywhere, the menu, though diverse, has an Asturian bent; the executive chef is Asturian, and well accoladed - Sr. Marcos Morán. The building is ideal (from the diners' perspective) - high-ceiling, spacious, cool stone decor - and the ambiance perfect - just as I remembered it.
The food is gorgeous and authentic - I found nothing to question here. Pimientos de Padrón, unusually for the UK - both in my experience, and that of a Gallician friend - included a representative number of picante examples; from one plate, I had two moderately hot and one real scorcher - as hot as I ever recall having. Everything from here-on-down, I think, is Asturian in origin, style or variance (or maybe regionally undifferentiated for the croquettas?) Sr. Móran's (Casa Gerardo, q.v.) bocadillos crujientes de quesos - very light filo pastry sandwiches of slightly sweet creamed cheeses - I think, best interleaved with other dishes, but also a great relevé or finalé - were exactly as I recall; this is not a belly-filler, but a dainty palate-pleaser. Hmm... they may pair well with a Manzanilla as an aperativo. Croquetas de setas - inch-cubed fried cubes of wild-mushroom-béchamel awesomeness, in a fragile crust, are both delightful, and filling. The calamares were about as good as I've found in the UK - I am very picky with this simple dish, but I would still come back here for them.
There too are cold tapas and main dishes - and I don't recall ever trying anything here that didn't impress. There are a number of vegetarian-friendly dishes - but this is not primarily vegetarian cuisine. I'm not sure how much is vegan-friendly, but I imagine the kitchen is used to accommodating most needs.
One word of caution; I found my selection marginally on the salty side by the time I was done - this is exactly as I would expect it, from an authenticity perspective - I ate only tapas, and plenty of it; if you tend to steer clear of salt, talk to your waiter first before digging into a whole table of tapas (in any restaurant!).
The rice pudding (arroz con leche) was perfect - not overly-sweet in the body, with the correct smooth texture and hydration, and a beautiful creme-brulée-style caramel cap.
This house has fantastic wines at decent prices; if you know what you want, you won't be disappointed; if not, ask for advice, and ... you still won't be disappointed. The classic Bodegas Muga special reserve Rioja by the glass was more than satisfying for me, today, and a beautiful G.B. Palo Cortado was the perfect foil to the rice pudding. Unlike most bars and restaurants, Hispania has a well chosen range of sherries - for starters, mains and desserts.
This is not a cheap restaurant, but neither is it expensive for what it is nor for it's location. I trust you will enjoy it as much as I do!
In case they read this - for last night, my thanks to the front-of-house staff, notably Sres. Luis, Tony, who were appropriately friendly, professional, informative, and attentive (notwithstanding my late arrival, pre-whetted whistle, and my occasional non-deliberate confused attempts to speak some mix of Castilian and South-American Spanish, with maybe some Galego and Italian thrown in for good measure, I suspect!). And my thanks - and apologies for presenting unannounced barely before end-of-service - to the kitchen!
I look forward to seeing you again!
David Simkins
Upmarket Spanish restaurant within a stones-throw of Bank. Located in a former bank itself, the restaurant is light & airy and spread over two floors. Very nicely appointed.
The tapas dishes appear to be the most popular and the quality is excellent. The relatively high prices reflect both the area and the imported Spanish ingredients. Excellent service too with mainly Spanish-speaking staff.
Very popular for business meetings so a little ‘corporate’ rather than romantic on weekdays.
Minh Trang
Really good food, especially Iberico ham and monk fish, prawn was quite salty. The place was well decorated. Staff was a bit slow and it was difficult to get their attention. The price was expensive for the portion we got.
Ines Fournis-Lerma
Hands down the best Spanish food in the city of London. Authentic food, authentic wine and beer, authentic interior. You must order the croquetas and the tortilla!
Daryl
Based on how much my partner and I enjoyed our meal, this place seriously deserves a Michelin star. Beyond excellent service and excellent value as well. What a gem in the City.
Simon Sheng
Honestly brilliant Spanish restaurant with right in spot services and great taste. Jamon is great and the Iberian pork with foie gras is ver tasty.
Alicia.item
Food was great but service needs improvement... <br/><br/>We booked a month in advance, during which time a lot of tables were still available. By the time we got there there were only two tables available apart from the high table/bar area. We were pointed out by the one by the door, when we asked for to be seated in another table that was still available we were told that someone else has specifically asked for that table. Since I did not want to sit by the door, we ended up being seated at the bar. However, we found out this to be not true, as 15 minutes later another couple walked in and got seated in the table we were told to take originally of which they complained to another maitre d and got seated to the table which was supposedly requested by another couple.<br/><br/>The waiter that eventually helped us at the bar was very nice and helpful but every one else treated us as we were not supposed to have the space & kept on squeezing us. Even though one we booked way in advance, two the place wasn’t at full capacity. Given we went for our anniversary the overall experience was average at best. <br/><br/>Unless if you just go for a quick lunch or spontaneous dinner & not expecting anything special then the food is good.
Mac Moreno
Hispania used to be my favorite Spanish restaurant but now the quality of the food has gone down a lot. Very very disappointed!!
London Dining Reviewer
On a typically rainy afternoon in London I’m having Spanish tapas again. Tapas is de rigueur everywhere apparently, whatever the origins of the cuisine. Hispania’s restaurant manager points out that the Spanish don’t eat tapas at lunch-time, they have three set courses, that’s why this Bank based eating establishment is broadening their menu. I quite agree with this ethos. I prefer a more holistic plate of food that has more complementary flavours. For now though I’m having tapas because Hispania still has a predominantly tapas lunch menu and I want to try a range of options, because I’m greedy. I had a particularly delightful tapas experience at Boqueria in Brixton and I’m on a mission to find some equally good Spanish food. Hispania has an elegant and authentically inspired interior, featuring high ceilings, a huge sweeping staircase and a good deal of dramatic decor, much of which has been directly imported from Spain, including flooring from Seville and a Spanish marble bar. It’s a
SexDrugsandBaconRolls
Hispania in Lombard Street looks like an unassuming typical banker location for lunch when you walk by, however you should not judge a book by its cover. When you walk in you immediately feel the vast size of this place. Hispania is the largest Spanish restaurant in London. This place has been rumored for months to be one of the very best restaurants in London in the Spanish cuisine. As we walked in we felt as though we had really stepped out of the busy city to a parador in Spain. Almost everything in this vast place is authentic from the magnificent Spanish floor, to the wooden private dining table that was owned originally by a notorious Spanish banker. The ground floor holds the bar, dining tables, a deli area where people can pick up a quick lunch or breakfast to take away and a cheese cellar which hosts a magnificent array of local cheeses (the name escapes me but originates from the owners local district. There will also be a balsamic vinegar and bread tasting area in the corner
Andy Hayler
A few yards from the Bank of England is Hispania, an ambitious opening that at this stage is a tapas bar and shop, but later in 2013 will feature a 35-seat fine dining restaurant. The executive chef of the future fine dining restaurant will be Michelin starred Marcos Moran (of Casa Gerardo in Asturias), but this review is of the tapas bar.<br/><br/>The premises are very smart, with floor tiles and marble from Spain, bronze light fittings and a high ceiling. Downstairs is a tapas bar and small deli, upstairs a sherry bar and private dining room. The fine dining restaurant will be upstairs, next to the open kitchen. The tapas were £5.50 to £9.50, main courses £10 to £17, desserts at £4.50.
Meryem
From the moment you enter it's clear that Hispania is something special, the building is beautiful, the decor completely authentic and the staff welcoming. Perfect place for after work cocktails, or business lunch / dinner.
Andy Hayler
A few yards from the Bank of England is Hispania, an ambitious opening that at this stage is a tapas bar and shop, but later in 2013 will feature a 35-seat fine dining restaurant. The executive chef of the future restaurant will be Michelin starred Marcos Moran (of Casa Gerardo in Asturias), but this review is of the tapas bar.<br/><br/>The premises are very smart, with floor tiles and marble from Spain, bronze light fittings and a high ceiling. Downstairs is a tapas bar and small deli, upstairs a sherry bar and private dining room. The fine dining restaurant will be upstairs, next to the open kitchen.<br/><br/>The short wine list started at £21 and had selections such as Cuatro Rayas Verdejo at £28 for a wine that you can find in the high street for £6, Mar de Frades sparkling Albarino NV at £55 for a wine that retails at around £18, and Merto Tempranillo at £82 for a wine that varies in price substantially by vintage, but where a recent vintage was around £57 in one shop. Given that one wine was £120, it seems bizarre to me to not list vintages. To be sure, Spanish wines do not have quite the same level of vintage variation as more northerly wine-growing areas, but there is certainly variation, and anyone interested in wine will want to know the vintage that they are about to order.<br/><br/>Salmorejo is an Anadalusian cold tomato soup with vegetables, vinegar and olive oil, in this case garnished with hard-boiled egg and a little Iberico ham. Slightly creamier in texture than a classic gazpacho, this had deep tomato flavour, and just the right amount of olive oil, with enough of a vinegar kick to balance the oil (14/20). <br/> <br/>Garlic prawns (£9) featured prawns that were of better quality than one often encounters in London, carefully cooked and with good garlic crisps (14/20). Ham croquetas (£5.50) were fried golden brown and had a well-judged filling, definitely a step up from the norm (14/20). Chorizo and potato tortilla (£6.50) was very good, the texture as it should be, the chorizo adding a useful extra flavour to the classic potato filling (14/20). Apple three ways (£4.50) had apples poached in an apple and orange syrup, apple sorbet and apple crisps. Each element was nicely made, and the contrast of textures worked well (14/20).<br/><br/>Service was friendly, and the waiter able to answer questions about the food without reference to the kitchen. Portion sizes were quite generous, and three tapas would be plenty for a satisfying meal. With a modest wine and coffee, a typical bill would come to around £50 a head. Overall I liked Hispania. The cooking felt more authentically Spanish than many of the mainstream tapas bars in London (many of which are run by non-Spaniards). Certainly the dishes that I tried had more care and attention lavished on them than at many London restaurants. I would happily return, and am intrigued to sample the fine dining restaurant as and when it opens.
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