LONDON - BERMONDSEY - JOSÉ - TAPAS & SHERRY BAR

Miguel Renoir Spanish Guides
Jun 11, 2024
2 min read

JOSÉ TAPAS & SHERRY BAR

Situated on a corner of the now trendy area of Bermondsey Street, this cosy little tapas bar serves up excellent authentic tapas. Opened by José Pizarro with his eponymous restaurant, Pizarro, further up Bermondsey Street on the same side of the road.

José is a buzzing spot for an atmospheric lunch or dinner. This is not a sit-down restaurant, but a Spanish bar, where you go to have a drink and some tapas, standing or sitting on stools with a barrel for a table. There are also window stools looking out onto the street. On a visit to José in June 2024, we chose to sit at the tables in the street.

We had a few tapas for lunch with two friends from Spain and started with boquerones en vinegre.

Patatas bravas.

Chorizo Iberico.

Tortilla.

Sirloin on toast, torta de barros.

Conde de San Cristobal (D.O Ribera de Duero).

Cheese selection, described by the excellent Berta.

There is a blackboard with the day's specials.

On a previous visit. We were a group of six friends and, on this occasion. we opted, to share various tapas including

Tartar de atún (tuna tartar)

Bife de lomo con patatas y salsa romesco (rib-eye steak with potatoes and romesco sauce)

The meal went on into the night and we had plenty of refills

Jamón Ibérico de Bellota

Boquerones (anchovies marinated in vinegar)

Gambas al ají y al ajillo (prawns in chili and garlic)

A stunning pluma Ibérico (A cut from the shoulder of the pig, served medium rare, which is very unusual for pork)

Boquerones fritas (fried anchovies)

To drink we had

6 glasses of Cava

2 bottles of Adaras Lluvia Blanco 2019 (Sauvignon Blanc (50%), Verdejo (50%)

2 bottles of Bodegas LAN Rioja Reserva Gran Dominio.

All in all, an excellent evening with great service. It's great when we can all sit outside but when it gets colder, that's when it gets more difficult.

As well as the excellent wine list there is also a classic sherry list ranging from Fino, Manzanilla, Palo Cortado, Amontillado, Oloroso, and Pedro Ximénez.

Opening Hours are,

Mon-Sat 12.00 - 22.00

Sun 12.00 - 17.30

No Reservations...........just walk in!

The best time to grab a stool is around 12.15 pm or 4.30 pm, the place is small and always busy.

José, when it was a grocery shop in 1988!