Dehesa | Spanish-Italian Tapas in Carnaby St
A dehesa, as you’ll no doubt know, is a multifunctional agro-sylvo-pastoral system and cultural landscape of southern and central Spain, acting as a natural habitat for the Spanish fighting bull and the Ibérico pig.
…Hopefully only one of which you’ll be encountering at this tapas joint.
It’s the next venture from the wildly successful Salt Yard Group, behind Salt Yard, Ember Yard and Opera Tavern. In a similar vein, the cuisine here is Spanish-Italian inspired tapas, with an emphasis on provenance and well-sourced ingredients – and the interiors too bear a family resemblance, with leather banquette seating, blackboard menus and antique lighting in a cosy and informal nook that feels miles from the the Carnaby crowds outside.
As with Ember Yard, the menu kicks off with a weekend brunch offering, only with a bigger and more decadent selection. It’s pretty much the kind of food you pictured yourself eating for breakfast with no grown-ups around, so prepare for chocolate-dipped churros, minute steak sandwiches and grilled chorizo with eggs, potato cakes and buttered mushrooms.
Later in the day, however, you’ll be able to tuck into platters of cheese and charcuterie, as well as bar snacks like pig’s head terrine, quail’s eggs, and jamon croquettes with quince aioli. Then there’s the larger plates, bearing haddock and jerusalem artichoke risotto, confit cod cheeks with blood orange salad, and pomegranate-glazed short ribs with garlic purée – all of which you can wash down nicely with Spanish and Italian wines, sherries and some of the best Spanish-style G&Ts in London.
And that’s no bull.
NOTE: Dehesa is open every day, with mid-afternoon breaks in service on weekdays. You can book a table on their website right HERE.
Dehesa | 25 Ganton Street, W1F 9BP
Love tapas? Check out the best Spanish restaurants in London