Food

Tapas Brindisa Bottomless brunch review

A light open space with feature piece bar and inviting exterior terrace, Tapas Brindisa is one of those idyllic venues that completely comes to life in the summer. Lured in by the promise of bottomless brunch ‘with a twist’, the idea of unlimited sangria for an hour and a half was an absolute dream on a day like this. 

We settled on a small 2 seater by the terrace, the perfect people watching spot for the outside space full of happy Saturday brunch-ers. The £35 offer gives only 2 menu choices; seafood or vegi, which sounds limited but includes a really stable choice for both; a selection of classic starters and paella, served sharing style. You also have the choice of opting for 1.5 hours of unlimited sparkling wine, red or white sangria. We went for the vegetarian option and Sangria (of course).  Within a couple of minutes of ordering, our chirpy waiter came over with a tray boasting 2 tumblers of sangria, with a jug full to the brim to keep us going. Sangria is one of those drinks which can really be hit or miss. I’ve tried equal measures of amazing and plain grim across the years, with the risk of it just being red wine mixed with orange juice and some fruit chucked in, but we were pleasantly surprised by how delicious the drink was here given that it was a bottomless option. Made up of brandy, fruit liquor, citrus, red wine and lemonade, it didn’t taste like the booziest tipple but that made it perfect for grazing through our lunch at 1pm on a Saturday.

Soon after our Tapas starters also arrived; croquets, Padron peppers and pan de coca served on little plates for us to share, with the Mediterranean décor and hanging ham and chilli’s adorning the bar, it now really felt like we were actually in spain! 

The starters were an absolute winner all the way; flavoursome salted Padron’s, super creamy croquettes with a delicious hint of goat’s cheese sweetness, the pan de coca was certainly my favourite. Super soft bread with crunchy crust topped with tangy tomatoes, it matched our sunny Saturday mood perfectly. Extra points for the awesome cheeky waiter telling us there was one super spicy Padron on each plate and whoever got it had to get the bill (definitely a myth but it totally added to the Spanish atmosphere). 

A little note on the menu stated, ‘the bigger the group, the bigger the pan’ and we soon understood why as the main course is brought out in it’s paella pan and placed on a heat proof mat straight on the table. Super colourful with pickled peppers and asparagus strategically placed to finish off the look, it was certainly super attractive! Tucking in, was pretty much everything your traditional Spanish paella should be; rich and creamy with loads of fresh veg and rice cooked to perfection, as a great lover of salt I enjoyed this flavour in the meal although we did both notice it was a pretty dominant flavour, which perhaps wouldn’t be enjoyed by some diners. It did get our thirst up, so we ordered another jug of sangria, struggling through our last mouthfuls of paella, determined not to leave any. Full to the brim, we just couldn’t make room for dessert, so instead picked at the deliciously ripe nectarine floating in the dregs of our sangria jug, which was good enough for us. Saying goodbye to the truly wonderful waiting staff and in to the bright 2pm light of day, we both commented that perhaps the sangria was a bit stronger than it tasted.

Lovely waiting staff, interesting and tasty food in a wonderfully bright and airy setting, Tapas Brindisa is a great summer option for the weekend staple offering a fantastic twist on your usual bottomless brunch.

Important info: Brunch costs £35 per person (minimum 2 guests) for a 1.5 hour sitting.

Times: Every Saturday, 12 – 4pm

Website:  https://www.brindisakitchens.com/

Address: 152 Curtain Rd, Hackney, London EC2A 3AT

Written by Jordan Crowley