Camino Bankside (Restaurant)

Top 10 things you need to know about Camino Bankside restaurant:

1) When visiting a Spanish tapas restaurant in London, you almost expect glorious, unabated Iberian sunshine. Sadly, that’s one minor detail most restaurants can’t arrange.

2) Canvey Street behind the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe is a pedestrianised road - does it show up on Google Maps? - and the addition of rain, torrential amounts, means locating the restaurant can be like locating Waterworld without Kevin Costner.

3) Desperately seeking some Spanish warmth, you spot the open kitchen on arrival; how pleasing! The Mediterranean mosaic tiles, the rich wood panelling and earthy leather seating add a rustic feel.

4) Despite the lengthy and detailed wine list, you should opt for a jug of sunshine on such occasions: Sangrìa Royale. Any greyness will soon dissipate with a blast of red wine, gin, cava, cinnamon and an abundance of fresh fruits.

5) A steady flow of jamón Ibérico leaves the Jamón bar. It might look like a miserable summer evening in London but you could quite easily be in vibrant Barcelona.

6) That drizzle can easily turn into a flood, of meat, if you opt for the mixed grill; a great choice for the indecisive amongst you: the smokiness of the chorizo, the assuredness of the chicken skewers and the quality of the fillet steak and presa Ibérica combines to become an instant winner with everyone.

7) You may find an issue with the temperature of the food. It tends to be rather like the British weather: lukewarm, at best. If you quiz the staff, the explanation is that different meats require different cooking times, hence some might not be hot.

8) If you want something more fiery then opt for their pimientos de Padrón. Eating these little Galician green peppers is like playing Russian roulette; some are hot, some are not. If you get the bullet, it’s the perfect excuse to finish the jug of Sangrìa.

9) Sitting at the bar tables, looking through their uninterrupted floor to ceiling windows, you need to be wary of pedestrians suffering from food envy. You, with your colourful jug of cocktail and exotic meat platter, and them, with their pitiful looking sandwiches in the cold rain.

10) The Met Office might not predict a heatwave, but you can make it happen with a visit to Camino Bankside....read more