Unfortunately Pascal's phone battery died and we had to come home & get his spare one (he had to be on call for work & although he had thought ahead and put the spare one in my handbag that morning, I had used a different bag)!! We couldn't be bothered to venture back out of Fulham to eat so decided to go to Tendido Cuatro on the New King's Road (we were going to Gola the following night so needed a change)!
I love Spanish food and despite going to Spain every year of my life some of the best tapas I have every had are from this restaurant group. They have 3 restaurants on the Old Brompton road and then this one. I have to say we do go regularly - the food is fantastic and so is the service. They remember little details such as what is your favourite tipple and they always spoil us with the best tables in the restaurant and then a drink on the house at the end of the meal (they obviously know the way to my heart)!
Since we started going to this restaurant 4 years ago, we have always just had tapas however some friends Nick and Kirstie recently introduced us to their delicious paella and so now we have both!!
There is so much to choose from on the menu however Pascal and I, being creatures of habit, always have the same (Menu). We begin with an Anis Del Mono which is a Spanish version of Ricard / Pastis and I eat all the olives and Pascal is "allowed" about one (I am an olive piglet).
Then Pascal's favourite is always the ham and we have that with their incredible tomato bread.
The tomato bread is so good that we have been known to finish the plate and order it again - there is olive oil, garlic, tomato and herbs and it tastes delicious, especially with the ham.
Next come the Serrano ham and bechamel croquettes with a tomato and thyme sauce. These are another of my favourites and while Pascal says he does not like bechamel, he still manages to eat a few!
These croquettes melt in your mouth!
The same friends also recently introduced us to the patatas bravas which I adore even though I don't really like potatoes and they are called spicy on the menu which I am also not keen on. They are misrepresented though as they are creamy, soft and flavoursome with no kick whatsoever!
You won't be surprised to hear that Pascal insists on having some proper meat on the table - such as the lamb chops. These come with pimentos de padron which I just adore. Pascal says the chops are brilliant - I tend not to have one as I am generally already starting to fill up from eating most of the olives and croquettes!
I prefer fish to meat so I always order the squid. You can have it fried or grilled, I prefer it grilled and it comes with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt - it is so fresh and delicious - the portion is just not big enough!
The last tapas we have is chorizo, this once again is described as spicy on the menu but really isn't. It tastes great but my only complaint is that they bring it to you at the end. I would like to eat it with either the patatas bravas or the croquettes - I am sure the restaurant could easily do this but I forget to ask!
I have to admit by this point we were fit to burst but as we ordered the paella we had to push on through!
The restaurant offers 6 different types of paella from the usual seafood paella to a cuttlefish ink one to a quail and chorizo paella. This was what we had and WOW! I would never think to order this before as quail is not my favourite but how narrow minded I sometimes am!! This paella is incredible.
To drink we had a bottle of Muga which is a very good Rioja.
If you fancy some Spanish cuisine, I would really recommend Tendido Cuatro or the sister restaurants. The others are in South Kensington on the Old Brompton road and there is Tendido Cero which is tapas and a bar, Capote y Toros which is a ham and sherry bar and Cambio de Tercio which is a formal restaurant. They have also recently opened a gin and tonic bar called C.Tonic which I must try.
All in all the food here is fantastic and the service excellent - my only complaint is that the loos are down a steep staircase and I worry I might fall down and break my neck! Plus it is a bit pricey but then it is cheaper than flying to Spain and better, especially on those rare days in London when the sun is out and you can sit either on the pavement or by the french windows and watch the world go by.
108-110 New King's Road
London
SW6 4LY
Tel: 020 7371 5147
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