Dover Street is home to some of London’s fanciest spots and El Norte is the street’s latest addition. Owned by Spanish twins and entrepreneurs Arian and Alberto Zandi, their restaurant is aiming to bring the best flavours and dishes from their motherland Madrid to us Londoners.
Considering we visited on a Tuesday night, and the place is new, the atmosphere was bustling, helped along by the luxe decor and low lighting, and full of energy as if it were a weekend. We started the evening with two of their cocktails, the cotton candy champagne and the Flamenco, which had a nice kick from the chilli-infused tequila.
The food menu at El Norte is designed for sharing and like all tapas restaurants comes as and when. If you’re searching for one of the best and most boujee tortillas in London, then we’ve found it. El Norte’s Tortilla de Trufa is a truffle lover’s heaven – gooey on the inside, crispy on the outside and covered with layers of fresh truffle and manchego. And 100% as decadent as it sounds. Other tapas classics we tried are the croquetas de jamon with guacamole and the crispy patatas bravas, topped with red pepper sauce and a big dollop of aioli.
Some dishes that aren’t as typically tapas that we tried but are equally as good were the Salvage A La Riojana, wild seabass with sweet tomato & piquillo pepper sauce, and the Pulpo a la Bresa, grilled octopus with pepper sauce & mash potato. It’s worth adding that where possible the chefs at El Norte work closely with Spanish suppliers, like sourcing tomatoes from Andalucia and olive oil from Cordoba. To finish we had churros with a big pot of rich hot chocolate sauce for dipping, definitely a dish for those with a sweet tooth.
As you’d expect given its location in the heart of Mayfair, El Norte is a bit on the pricey side, but it’s the perfect spot for those celebratory dinners and a night splashing out with your friends.
19-20 Dover St, London W1S 4LU
el-norte.co.uk