Tapas Revolution (Restaurant)

Top 10 things we discovered about Tapas Revolution restaurant when we visited:

1) There is a reason to like Westfield in Shepherds Bush. The swarms of commodity-hungries have previously kept me and my battered, un-branded trainers away from the imposing shopping centre. Tapas Revolution is a destination in itself which demands to be visited.

2) The Spanish restaurant is owned by Omar Allibhoy who, at 29, must have listened when his mum told him to pull his socks up as he has already won numerous awards for his cooking and business brain and appeared on 2010's ‘Ramsay’s Best Restaurant’. This is only the first indication of the quality you can expect at Tapas Revolution.

3) The second is the filled seats which line the oval shaped bar positioned on the first floor balcony of the shopping centre. There are plenty of dining options in Westfield but the cheap fast-food of fish and chips doesn’t cut it next Tapas Revolution.

4) It’s not smoke and mirrors, the build-up isn’t followed by stark disappointment – the food is the best thing about the place. I’d probably stop and eat if the restaurant were in the middle of a war zone. Satisfaction first, health and safety second.

5) I have an insatiable penchant for the ‘Best Ham in the World’ (decided so by the IFFA). At £8.95 per 50 grams jamón ibérico is likely to send me into either spiralling debt, or a life of crime in order to sustain my new addiction.

6) Tapas is made for sharing but you don’t have to. The garlic and chilli gambas and deep-fried calamares were so good I refused to share. I instead offered my companion my last Rolo.

7) I don’t like it when others won’t share. One sublime ham croquette was not enough.

8) As shockingly as it sounds, I discovered that a meal in a London shopping centre can feel both indulgent and relaxing. Sipping on sangria and listening to the exotic twang of the Tapas Revolution staff’s accents could have fooled me into believing I was on holiday in Spain. The jab of the Tube later that evening reminded me I was not.

9) There’s another tapas revolution in Bluewater. I might alternate between the two for my jamón hit.

10) A combination of informal and quick dining with great cooking – indeed, a revolution. ...read more