{"id":31234,"date":"2024-09-06T14:42:29","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T13:42:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spanishchamber.co.uk\/?p=31234"},"modified":"2024-10-08T10:47:05","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T09:47:05","slug":"on-the-hunt-for-some-of-the-best-spanish-croquetas-in-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spanish.en-desarrollo.net\/es\/2024\/09\/06\/on-the-hunt-for-some-of-the-best-spanish-croquetas-in-london\/","title":{"rendered":"On the hunt for some of the best Spanish croquetas in London"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the third consecutive year, the Team from the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the UK embarked on the much anticipated \u00abIII Croquetas Tour\u00bb. On a sunny day during the last week of August, the Chamber Staff visited <\/span>five restaurants <\/span><\/b>across London, <\/span>tasting a variety of croquetas<\/span><\/b>. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

London <\/span><\/b>is renowned for its <\/span>international cuisine<\/span><\/b>, including numerous <\/span>Spanish restaurants <\/span><\/b>where croquetas often feature as a key menu item\u2014a classic traditional Spanish delicacy. A <\/span>croqueta<\/span><\/b>, or croquette in English, is a deep-fried roll typically filled with b\u00e9chamel sauce and various ingredients, such as ham, seafood, chicken, or almost anything else.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

DONOSTIA<\/a> <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our first stop was <\/span>Donostia<\/span><\/i>, located less than 10 minutes on foot from our office, in the heart of Marylebone. <\/span>Donostia<\/span><\/i>, which is also the Basque name of\u00a0the city of San Sebasti\u00e1n, serves Basque pintxos and <\/span>tapas<\/span><\/i>. We had the opportunity to try five different types of croquetas at their cosy terrace. Our Team was pleasantly surprised by the variety of flavours at this restaurant, which featured some of the most popular ingredients in Spanish cuisine. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We enjoyed the classic Ib\u00e9rico <\/span>ham croquetas<\/span><\/b>, <\/span>chorizo croquetas<\/span><\/b>, and even one filled with an exceptional mix of <\/span>cheese and<\/span><\/b> dulce de membrillo<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u2014 made with a fruit\u00a0called quince in English and membrillo in Spanish.\u00a0 We also tried their <\/span>octopus <\/span><\/b>croquetas and\u00a0the very Basque <\/span>txuleta <\/span><\/b>croqueta, which is a premium cut of expertly grilled beef.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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EL PIRATA<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, we headed to<\/span> El Pirata<\/span><\/i> in Mayfair, where we had the chance to spend time in their charming basement\u2014a space that exudes a Spanish traditional atmosphere. Our Team savoured the <\/span>chicken croquetas<\/span><\/b>, <\/span>Ib\u00e9rico ham croquetas<\/span><\/b>, as well as the <\/span>chipir\u00f3n<\/span><\/i><\/b> (squid) and <\/span>mushroom <\/span><\/b>options. The food was paired with\u00a0very good wine; indeed, El Pirata has a cellar of more than 100 kinds, hailing from Spain and beyond.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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EMBER YARD<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Our third stop was <\/span>Ember Yard<\/span><\/i>, a hip and elegant venue in Soho, which brings the unforgettable flavours of traditional Spanish and Italian cuisine to London. Here, we tried the <\/span>ham <\/span><\/b>and <\/span>Manchego cheese croqueta<\/span><\/b>. Manchego is a cheese made from the milk of Manchega sheep, a distinctive breed raised in the vast fields of the La Mancha Region, in Central Spain. The cheese can be aged between 60 days and 2 years, and it is one of Spain\u2019s most famous products worldwide. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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COPITA<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Then, we visited <\/span>Copita<\/span><\/i>, an authentic Spanish bar for \u201cchatear\u201d\u2014 this Spanish expression means \u201cenjoying drinks, mostly wine, and small bites in a relaxed, setting\u201d. We had the chance to try two varieties of <\/span>croquetas<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0the first we tasted were filled with flavourful <\/span>mushrooms<\/span><\/b>, and the second kind were an interesting, very English spin on croquetas, as they were made with<\/span> leek and cheddar cheese. <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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LA GAMBA<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

La Gamba<\/span><\/i>, \u201cthe shrimp\u201d in Spanish, located in\u00a0the South Bank, was the final stop of our tour. After a pleasant walk through central London, we were ready to enjoy even\u00a0more croquetas. We tasted the <\/span>Cornish crab and squid ink<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>croquetas<\/span><\/b>, which were beautifully presented, along with the perfectly crisp <\/span>Ib\u00e9rico ham croquetas. <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We enjoyed the croquetas with very good white and ros\u00e9 wines, and to end on an even better note we tasted their Burnt Basque Cheesecake, a staple Spanish dessert. La Gamba boasted spacious and elegant interiors, designed by Cristina Lanz, and a terrace which overlooked the Thames River. Not to be missed!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All in all, it was a beautiful and above all, very flavourful occasion to enjoy some of the best high quality Spanish food central London has to offer. Next year we will undoubtedly come back for more in order to keep this tradition alive! Thanks to the restaurants that hosted us, and to the incredible Chamber Team who completed our<\/span> III Croquetas Tour.<\/span><\/b> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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