In 1998, despite speaking no English, José Pizarro moved to London to work in the capital’s most prestigious Spanish restaurants.
Now, half of London’s most prestigious Spanish eateries are literally named after him. In fact, you’ll find three of them on Bermondsey Street alone – the latest of which is Lolo.
It’s actually called that as a reference to his middle name (which is actually Manuel, or Lolo for short), and it joins Jose (first name) and Pizarro (last name) to pleasingly complete his Bermondsey Street culinary signature. This new space marks a slight departure from the other two in that it’s an all-day affair, serving up a sizeable menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
Step inside, and you’ll find a warm & inviting space wrapped in earthy, terracotta tones. There’s a large bar with a belt of subtle under-lighting, and plenty of room for both communal and individual tables. Design-wise, it’s a pretty nimble straddle between the relaxed charm of breakfast and the slightly more elegant intimacy of dinner.
Speaking of which, on the menu you can start your day off with everything from a tortilla vaga (“the lazy omelette”) loaded with salmon, capers & lemon, some devilled eggs with hot sobrasada, or a hot beef sandwich with confit green peppers & melted cheese. But the best bit might be the pastries, which feature an all-too-rare (and strangely not Spanish) Kouign Amann, which is essentially what every croissant wishes it was.
Moving into lunch & dinner territory, you can then flip to the noon-side half of the menu, and throw yourself into gildas loaded with meaty Gordal olives, Catalina anchovy & pickles; a plateful of dinosaur-sized Iberian pork ribs; some smooth chicken liver parfait with sweet potato buns & parsley salad; a red prawn carpaccio with orange & chilli or a range of conserve tins loaded with everything from razor clams, to cockles, to baby squid. There’s a lot to like, and it feels very much like you might as well be in Barcelona.
To drink, there’s a concise menu of cocktails, aperitifs, Spanish beers, and wines including José’s own pink-hued Forcallat wine.
Or, José’s rosé.
NOTE: Lolo is open now, seven days a week, for breakfast, lunch & dinner. You can find out more and make a booking at the Lolo website.
Lolo | 102 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UB
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