Name: Tinto
Address: 11-13 Theberton Street, London, Islington, N1 0QY, UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7354 2341
Rating: 8

Occupying a nice wide road just off Upper Street, the selection of independent restaurants and businesses reflect Islington before the invasion of the chains

Formerly Como 3, Tinto was relaunched at the start of this year by owners Pierre and Yuko. There are nods to Spain (a large Toro on one wall) and Japan (lucky cats and use of wood), but overall there is a relaxed ambience - you can sit at the bar near the semi-open kitchen, at a large communal high table in the central area or a more casual area in the lower mezzanine level.

With a new menu featuring both Spanish and Japanese dishes, Pierre corrected me when I mentioned the dreaded 'F word' - fusion. Tinto isn’t fusion in that it does not attempt to clumsily mix two cuisines that don‘t really gel. Instead, it is co-habitation, with respective dishes existing side by side on the menu.

As both countries have a tradition of small sharing plates - via the tapas bar and the izakaya Japanese 'pubs' - this doesn’t seem odd when viewed on the menu.

In the Spanish corner there’s the obligatory Iberico ham and various cheeses, including some less obvious ones such as Teruel. We opted for an Iberican black pudding, which came topped with a quail’s egg and a small brioche, all stacked into a column effect. The pudding had a softness of texture and intense pepperiness that you don’t find in the British version.

Grilled octopus came on a bed of dauphinoise style potatoes (well, one of the owner’s IS French), and was nicely cooked and seasoned without the overbearance of paprika you can find sometimes with this dish. Whilst not the most melt-in-the-mouth cephalopod we have ever had, it was certainly a fine and enjoyable plate of tentacle action.

Presentation certainly leaned towards the Japanese maxim that you ‘eat with your eyes’ (not literally, that would be hideous). Dishes were artfully plated rather than casually slung on a plate as would be the case in a rough and ready tapas bar.

From the Japanese side of the menu, confit purple carrots with miso gratin demonstrated this perfectly, the carrots presented vertically with swirled piped gratin atop their obliquely sliced shafts. I’d never seen purple carrots before, and after initial confusion where we thought it was black pudding(!), the consumption indeed confirmed a lovely carroty taste combined with the umami of the miso. This side dish was one of our favourites.

Pork gyoza were standard Japanese-style, and pan-fried sea bream in tosazu (a Japanese vinegar) was simple and effective.

Beef tataki was the other stand-out from our selection, thin slivers of beautifully tender British sirloin, slightly pink in the middle, dressed with ponzu and shallots.

Desserts appeared to have a slight retro feel - baked Alaska, lemon thyme crème brulee and bread and butter pudding. Our Santiago tart was imported from Spain, but better for it due to the simple reason that they do it the best - the subtle almond was indeed a winner. Pistachio baked Alaska was too sweet for our palate, but the owner's recommendation to pair it with an ultra dry sherry, although initially a strange-seeming idea, actually worked.

Tinto also run weekend only specials such as a lobster burger in a black brioche (dyed with squid ink), and a great value early/pre-theatre deal of 5 dishes for £15. The hand-picked wine list is also good value, with most in the £20-30 range.

As well as skill in execution and good ingredients, there’s a playful, inventive quality to the food at Tinto. Speaking with owner Pierre it’s clear a lot of thought goes into the menu - they are constantly looking to refine, add new dishes and seek the feedback of their customers. It’s this dedication that should serve them well in Islington’s busy and competitive dining scene.

Tinto

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