El Norte Review
We recently visited the gorgeous El Norte created by entrepreneurs Arian and Alberto Zandi, leaders of Emerald Hospitality Group. El Norte takes its cues from the country’s rich culinary regions, offering a sharing style menu of traditional Spanish dishes with a modern and luxury twist.
The El Norte team works closely with several Spanish suppliers to source the finest ingredients. For example, the steak is from Spanish cows (Rubia Gallega) that are over eight years old and from Galicia in northwestern Spain, whilst the olives and olive oil are procured from Córdoba, and the ripest tomatoes derived from Andalucía in southern Spain.
Upon arrival we were taken to the bar area where we enjoyed a drink while our table was ready. My guest was impressed by his beer as even the bottle matched the decor in the venue. If you haven’t heard of Noam, it’s a Belgium beer which comes in a really fancy looking beer bottle. I throughly enjoyed my glass of Sauvignon Blanc, though next time I will be definitely trying one of El Norte’s cocktails. They look amazing.
After being seated we were treated to a special PR menu specifically chosen by the restaurant. The menu showcased some of the best dishes El Norte has to offer but the regular menu is split into sections and features: Para Picar (Nibbles), Ensaladas and Crudos (Salads and Raw Dishes), Vegetales De Temporada (Seasonal Vegetables), Carnes (Meat and Poultry), Pescados Y Mariscos (Fish and Seafood), and Para Acompañar (Sides).
We started with a selection of dishes which included the Ensalada De Tomate (fresh tomato salad with sweet vinaigrette), Tortilla De Trufa (Spanish potato omelet with black truffle, extra-virgin olive oil, and poached red onion) and Croquetas De Jamón (Ham Croquettes with guacamole).
While the Tortilla De Trufa was a little bland, the flavour from the Ensalada De Tomate really made up for it. But it was the Croquetas De Jamón which we both wished there was more of! They were probably some of the best croquettes I’ve had the pleasure of eating.
Our mains included Pluma De Cerdo Iverico Glaseada (Glazed Iberian Porto with Potatoes, Pulo A ala Brasa (Grilled Octopus with Pepper Sauce & Mashed Potato) and the classic Spanish dish Potatas Bravas.
Wow, where do I start! The Pluma Cerdo Iverico Glaseada was phenomenal! This is a dish not to be missed when you’re visiting El Norte… this was the star dish of the night.
My guest had never tried octopus before, so this was the dish he was most worried about. Luckily his first experience was very pleasant. The dish was cooked to perfection and you could cut it with a butter knife. Each bite melted in our mouths and I will be ordering this again.
To finish our dinner, we had the classic churros and it was the a lovely way to end our night. Our only complaint of the evening was we did have to ask for our drinks three times before we were brought them. We’ll forgive them though because it was a very busy night and staff were very apologetic.
El Norte isn’t your typical Spanish restaurant, and a nice little date spot. So if you’re looking for a night out… this should be top of your list.
ADDRESS
19-20 Dover St, London W1S 4LU
Telephone: 020 3154 8182
[email protected]
Website: https://el-norte.co.uk
OPENING HOURS
Sunday – Thursday: 12pm – 12.30am
Friday – Saturday: 12pm – 1.30am
Written by Tegan LeBon
