Mar i Terra

Mar i Terra | Spanish Restaurant

By Izzy Gormezano Marks | Last Updated: 15th July 2019 | Main image: Ewan Munro

Mar i Terra may not afford you views of picturesque land and sea so much as an industrial desert in a seemingly uncharted patch of Southwark…

…but the food is a picture of pure Spanish perfection.

With a cosy setting of just 40 covers on the ground floor and a walled courtyard garden out the back, charming doesn’t begin to cover it.

The owners take the sourcing of their ingredients seriously, going directly to producers in Spain for what makes up most of the menu, as well as bringing their espresso beans over from Puglia – they’re all about waking up and smelling the right kind of coffee.

The menu sports the tapas favourites you want to see, reasonably priced and served with a smile (not because they’re feeling smug about charging an obscene amount for a plate of padrón peppers, but because they’re proud of what they do). It’s a roll call of classics, from garlicky pan con tomate to patatas bravas, tortilla, marinated lamb cutlets grilled on the plancha, chicken livers, sizzling prawns and a wealth of cured meats.

The wine list is varied and offers intriguing options for the novice, as well as amateur, sommelier. Whether or not you’re into your grape juice, it’s well worth a read, with detailed tasting notes that will make you smile as well as want to try something new.

If a tapas bar hidden between railways isn’t already new enough.

NOTE: Mar i Terra is open Mon-Fri 12-3pm & 6-11pm and Sat 6-11pm. You can find out more, and make a reservation, HERE.

Mar i Terra | 14 Gambia Street, SE1 0XH

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