[This venue is now closed]
\nWe love that Continental lifestyle \u2013 a Southern European restaurant, near the water, filled with animated diners, tapas and good wine presented by a convivial host and a shoal of enthusiastic waiting staff. Yes, this is La Mancha …in Putney.<\/p>\n
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No, dear reader, we are not talking about Putney sur Mer somewhere between Le Lavandou and Toulon and overlooking the Mediterranean. (That town is fictitious; it\u2019s just the writer exercising some poetic whimsy.) This is Putney in South West London, and La Mancha truly is just the sort of restaurant that we assume doesn\u2019t exist in Britain.<\/p>\n
We return from trips to Spain, France and Italy and we wax lyrical about the restaurants we visited and the meals we ate. \u201cCan\u2019t find places like that at home\u201d, \u201cThey do it so well in Spain\u201d, ” Can’t wait to go back\u201d, \u201cHere is a picture of me and the shellfish\u201d. Go to La Mancha and you will find that truly authentic ambiance for which you have hitherto searched in vain. Yes, the owner, Salvatore, is just what you would hope he would be: charming in true Latin fashion. The staff are more attentive than any you will find on the banks of the Med, and the food is every bit as good as you remembered but in bigger portions; and you will be near the water \u2013 the Thames!<\/p>\n
La Mancha has a full menu but it specialises in tapas. These make an ideal dinner. They were a traditional Spanish snack and consisted of a little round of bread with a topping that in days of yore would be balanced on your glass to keep the dust out of your drink. I wonder if that isn\u2019t just a colourful anecdote as it\u2019s unlikely that anyone would want to eat the tapa that would evidently be covered with the aforementioned dust that had been prevented from falling into the aforementioned glass.<\/p>\n
La Mancha offers dozens of tapas that are sized to cover a bucket more readily than a glass of sherry. They are famed here for their generously-sized portions and that, along with the quality of food, keeps folks returning. It\u2019s obvious they have regulars: diners arrive and shake hands with staff and seem familiar with the extensive menu. That\u2019s always a good sign and particularly in Putney where there is plenty of competition. La Mancha is always buzzing.<\/p>\n
Buzzing \u2013 that\u2019s what\u2019s lacking in other restaurants these days. It\u2019s the sound that we notice and are drawn towards in Southern European restaurants, people enjoying not only the conversation and fun but the food. La Mancha provides a selection of small(ish) plates to appeal to every taste. One can order just a couple of dishes each and share with the table. Four or five dishes will likely be enough for two people so tapas here make a ![\"La](\"http:\/\/www.mostlyfood.co.uk\/img\/Mancha_steak.jpg\")
delicious meal that won\u2019t break the bank. That\u2019s important in these days of tightening belts \u2013 although you will doubtless be letting out that belt about halfway through a meal at La Mancha.<\/p>\n
There are some traditional tapas here, those you would have tasted in Spain. Pimientos de Padron \u2013 sweet-hot peppers from Galicia in Northern Spain, saut\u00e9ed in olive oil \u2013 are addictive. They are mostly mild but it\u2019s culinary Russian roulette: there is often one with a bit more heat. Order these to nibble along with a glass of wine or beer while you have a look through the rest of the bill of fare.<\/p>\n
Tabla Castellana \u2013 Serrano ham, chorizo Iberico, salsichon (a salami-type sausage) and Manchego cheese \u2013 is a classic platter of cured meat and the iconic Spanish cheese. Boquerones en Vinagre \u2013 fillets of anchovies marinated in olive oil, garlic and vinegar \u2013 are a typical dish that will make your mouth water. Have some plain bread with these. Other tapas include Tortilla Espanola \u2013 celebrated Spanish omelette with potatoes and onions; Patatas Bravas \u2013 potatoes with a hot tomato sauce \u2013 should be ubiquitous in every tapas bar; Croquetas de Pollo y Jamon \u2013 deep-fried breadcrumbed croquettes of chicken and ham \u2013 are comforting: kids would love the mild flavour and creamy texture.<\/p>\n
Yes, plenty of expected dishes and the menu is no worse for their inclusion. They are part of what we want and expect from such a restaurant. These are the plates that have made tapas popular but there is much more to La Mancha than that. Lots of new dishes to try. Berejenas Fritas Con Miel y Romesco Sauce \u2013 crispy aubergines with honey and Romesco sauce \u2013 are exceptional. They are thin and delicate slices of aubergine and, even though the portion is sized for sharing, I could beat off fellow diners with a serving fork and keep these for myself. They can order their own. This is a must-try tapa.<\/p>\n
Mejillones A La Marinera – steamed mussels with tomato, garlic and wine sauce \u2013 is another dish that will have you reaching for the bread. The shellfish are tender and add a fresh taste of the ocean to the sauce. It gives you a chance to play with your food, lick fingers and dunk bread.<\/p>\n
Pinchito de Ternera – grilled skewered fillet steak, peppers and onions with a honey-mustard sauce \u2013 is surely a signature dish. The steak was chunky and cooked to pink-centred succulence. Still on its wooden skewer and ![\"La](\"http:\/\/www.mostlyfood.co.uk\/img\/Mancha_dessert.jpg\")
smothered in sweet fried vegetables, sauce on the side, this was outstanding.<\/p>\n
The dessert menu here is small and perfectly formed: we shared Tarta de Santiago \u2013 a traditional Santiago de Compostela almond cake. This, just like all other dishes, was a substantial serving. A wedge of rich almond-flavoured cake with a caramel and amaretto sauce. So simple but so correct, nothing fussy or over-garnished. This cake is just the best almond cake you could wish for.<\/p>\n
Paella Valenciana – fish, shellfish, chicken, pork and rice is on my list to try on the occasion of my next visit. There will indeed be one: it\u2019s seldom that I have enjoyed an evening quite so much. La Mancha ticked all the boxes for a great outing at a restaurant of any culinary persuasion. The prices here are unbeatable so it\u2019s no surprise that it\u2019s such a popular spot for both lunch and dinner. It\u2019s been going for a couple of decades and stands to be around for another twenty years. Delicious food and at prices that will surprise you.<\/p>\n
La Mancha Tapas Bar and Restaurant
\n32 Putney High Street
\nLondon SW15 1SQ<\/p>\n
[This venue is now closed]<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Restaurant review by Chrissie Walker \u00a9 2018<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [This venue is now closed] We love that Continental lifestyle \u2013 a Southern European restaurant, near the water, filled with animated diners, tapas and good wine presented by a convivial […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21278,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,7],"tags":[1853,8,244,213,212],"class_list":["post-1066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-european","category-restaurants","tag-la-mancha","tag-london","tag-putney","tag-spanish","tag-tapas"],"yoast_head":"\n