Jose Pizarro was head chef at Borough Market’s Brindisa, and now runs Jose, a tapas and sherry eatery he opened in 2011, and Pizarro, which he opened in 2012, both on the foodie Bermondsey Street. The latter is a new entry on our list, straight in at number 36.
Before Brindisa he worked at Portuguese and Spanish restaurant Eyre Brothers. “Here I went back to my roots, real good food cooked simply and well-researched with the best ingredients. This approach also made the restaurant fun to work in.”
One reason his restaurants are so popular is that tapas go down very well in the capital. “British people or people living in London are hungry for new flavours. People seem to like my style of food. It’s very sociable food. I am lucky to have had followers for 14 years now since I arrived in London.”
The most popular dish at the restaurant is duck breast with orange and spinach. What does he cook in his spare time? “If I’m cooking for my friends, I like to make a big dish to share, for example roast lamb. It’s hassle-free. For me on my own, I like a nice salad.”