London, England - Fino

Last Friday, when the sun finally came out after work, I headed to Fitzrovia with a friend for some outdoor drinks at the Charlotte Street Hotel. As the sun disappeared into the evening sky we slipped into Fino (sister restaurant to Barrafina and Quo Vadis) for some authentic Spanish tapas.

The head chef, Nieves Barragán Mohacho, a female who hails from the Basque country, uses only the freshest ingredients, so the menu is always changing and evolving depending on what is in season.

We sat at the bar and peeped through, behind a pork leg, to all of the action in the kitchen. The staff are all Spanish imports, which adds to the authenticity of the place, and the feeling that you might well be in the Basque region itself.

The food was deliciously flavorful and each individual dish arrived as it was prepared.

Ham croquetas:

Piquillo pepper croquetas:

Potato and chorizo chips:

Classic tortilla with caramelized onions and soft liquid center, cooked to perfection:

Battered pollock with a saffron garlic allioli:

Arroz negro: black rice with octopus infused with garlic:

Donuts and vanilla ice cream:

For classic tapas, and those with a twist, the purity of the ingredients and the care with which they are presented at Fino makes it a spot on the London dining scene not to be missed.