4 /5 Luis Somoza: Beautiful place with an eclectic speakeasy atmosphere; great service and well curated selection of Spanish wines, from Galician Albarinos to Basque Txakoli. With great anticipation and feeling nostalgic about the foods I grew up we started with the marinated olives and Pan con Tomate, the popular Catalan tapa made with simple ingredients including fresh tomatoes, hearty bread, garlic, and olive oil, unfortunately Del Rey version was a large, soggy piece of bread topped with a spicy pasta tomatoe sauce and fried Spanish ham, a complete insult to our humble yet delicious dish.
The empanadas with mushrooms were nicely paired with Mojo Verde, the Manchego Bombas crunchy and delicate in flavour.
The start were the the Gambas al Ajillo or Shrimp in Roasted Garlic Sauce..except for a gigantic piece of soggy, greasy bread they arrive hiding underneath meant for dipping in the delightful sauce.
The Tarta de Queso Vasca or Basque Cheesecake..asked to be served as its done back in the Basque Country, without Dulce de Leche, without berries, without caramelized citrus peel was as close as it could be to the original Basque burnt cheesecake.
A pricey tag for tapas, with some that are a complete misses.
