Boqueria

Boqueria’s dining area looks like it hasn’t been finished, but no one is paying any attention to the walls here. Tables are full (even though it’s Tuesday) and the diners’ focus seems to be solely on the tapas, as it should be.

We soon realise why. Slices of cured, salty pork shoulder are excellently paired with sweet potato puree, juicy suckling pig with vegetable crisps, apple sauce and a dollop of lemon sorbet is fantastic, and fuet, the cured pork sausage that is the children’s sandwich filler of choice in the Catalan and Valencia regions has been left out to sweat its full, piquant flavour, served with baguette bread smeared with fresh tomato, seeds and all.

Fabada, a hearty white bean stew originating in the north of Spain usually contains the kitchen’s leftovers, here chunks of bacon and spicy slices of chorizo add saltiness and heat. Crispy croquetas are filled with either salty ham or gloopy melted cheese, and a single cannelloni is stuffed with spinach, smoky aubergine and goat’s cheese, always a great combo.

We are only mildly let down by the roasted pepper stuffed with bonito, which turns out to be a rather un-inspiring cold tuna salad. Then again, given the amount of pork we’ve consumed this might not be bad thing.

Boqueria’s strong flavours are utterly seductive. Wines range from £13 to £42; a smooth, aged Ribera del Duero 2007 is £32 and perfect for our food. A meal for two is roughly £80 if you order around 7 dishes.