LONDON - SOUTH KENSINGTON - CAPOTE Y TOROS - HAM & SHERRY BAR
Updated: 2 days ago
CAPOTE Y TOROS HAM & SHERRY BAR
Capote y Toros South Kensington opened in 2011 as part of Abel Lusa’s successful Cambio de Tercio restaurant group. He aimed to recreate the atmosphere of a traditional Andalusian taberna, bringing a little of Cádiz, Jerez de la Frontera, and Sevilla to London’s Old Brompton Road.
The intimate bar quickly became known for its remarkable selection of sherries, originally numbering more than 100, alongside an excellent selection of Spanish tapas.
From the small but carefully chosen tapas menu, we have enjoyed several excellent dishes, including the wonderful 5J Cinco Jotas Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, produced from acorn-fed, 100% Ibérico pigs in Jabugo, Andalucía. Beautifully marbled and sliced wafer-thin, the ham has a delicate, melt-in-the-mouth texture and a wonderfully rich, nutty flavour that lingers on the palate. A true Spanish delicacy and the perfect accompaniment to a chilled glass of Fino or Manzanilla sherry.
The patatas bravas are a firm favourite and are served at all three of their restaurants and tapas bars. Tiny new potatoes are topped with a beautifully smooth, rich tomato bravas sauce and a luscious dollop of punchy, garlicky alioli. A delicious twist on this classic Spanish tapa.
Nigiri de boquerón en vinagre y pimiento de piquillo con escabeche – A delightful Spanish twist on Japanese nigiri, featuring delicate, vinegar-marinated fresh anchovies paired with sweet, tender confit piquillo peppers and a tangy escabeche sauce. The combination of sharp vinegar, sweetness from the peppers and the delicate flavour of the anchovies makes for a beautifully balanced and refreshing tapa.
Dorada soasada con yuzu, ají amarillo y uvas — lightly blowtorched sea bream with fragrant yuzu, the gentle warmth of yellow ají chilli and sweet grapes.
Mini perrito de txistorra con salsa de kimchi — a miniature Basque-style hot dog, filled with spicy txistorra sausage and lifted by a lively kimchi sauce.
The lubina asada a la Bilbaína was a generous fillet of grilled sea bass, its delicate flesh complemented by garlicky potatoes and burstingly sweet cherry tomatoes. A simple but very satisfying Basque-style dish.
The ganache de chocolate blanco y kiwi brought together smooth, creamy white chocolate with the fresh sharpness of kiwi — a light, refreshing finish to the meal.
On a previous visit, we enjoyed the tartar de atún — fresh tuna tartar with creamy avocado and grapefruit, whose bright citrus bitterness cut neatly through the richness of the fish.
The bacalao asado con sobrassada paired roasted cod with Mallorca’s famous soft, paprika-spiced sobrassada sausage and crisp mange touts. The savoury, gently smoky sausage gave the sweet, flaky fish real depth.
The carrilleras de cerdo Ibérico are pork cheeks slowly braised in rich Oloroso sherry until meltingly tender. Served with smooth potato cream, the meat is deeply flavoured and on the verge of falling apart.
The tuétano asado con jugo de ternera was a beautifully rich roasted bone marrow, served with an intense veal jus. Scoop the soft, buttery marrow from the bone and spread it over the toast — utterly indulgent.
The wine list is always excellent, but it is the sherry selection that really stands out, with more than 120 varieties.
For a memorable introduction to this historic wine, try a sherry flight — moving from crisp, bone-dry Fino and Manzanilla through nutty Amontillado and rich Oloroso, finishing with sweet, aromatic Moscatel. It is a wonderful way to discover just how varied sherry can be.
They also offer elegant Palo Cortados, sweet Olorosos dulces, and rich, sticky Pedro Ximénez, with its intense raisin- and prune-like character. The latter is also wonderful poured over vanilla ice cream.
With its bullfighting memorabilia and lively atmosphere, Capote y Toros captures much of the character of Andalucía’s old sherry bars. It was also a pioneer of London’s revival of sherry as a wine to enjoy throughout a meal, rather than simply before or after it.
On some evenings, a live guitarist plays traditional flamenco music, transporting you to the backstreet bars of Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz or Sevilla. The evocative sound of the Spanish guitar adds to the buzzing atmosphere, making it easy to forget that you are in the heart of London.
Service is brisk, friendly and professional. There are two evening sittings: the earlier one can be booked, while later diners need to turn up and may have to wait at the bar for a table.
Capote y Toros London is part of the Cambio de Tercio group. Their flagship restaurant, Cambio de Tercio, is just a few doors away at 163 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 0LJ, while Tendido Cero, serving more upmarket tapas, is directly across the road at 174 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 0BA.
CAPOTE Y TOROS HAM & SHERRY BAR
157 Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, London SW5 0LJ 020 7373 0567
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