Escabeche is a typical Mediterranean cuisine which refers to both a dish of poached or fried fish that is marinated in an acidic mixture before serving, and to the marinade itself. Escabeche is also a new Tapas restaurant and bar in West Bridgford, Nottingham which opened this week and is run by sons of the Perkins family, Jon and Dave Perkins. Folks local to Nottingham will probably have heard of Perkins in Plumtree, a well established family run restaurant (it opened in 1982, that's some good going).
http://www.perkins-family.co.uk/?i=68808&
Perkins is extremely well deserving of a blog entry in itself but for now I'm focusing on the new kid on the block.
Jon Perkins is marrying a very dear and lovely friend of mine, who has kept me updated on progress over the preceding months whilst Escabeche has been coming together. You can imagine how excited I was to be dining out at the finished article with said friend. At first glance I could tell that the blood, sweat and tears (figure of speech) had been worth it as Escabeche cuts a very fine figure indeed. A living wall adorns the attractive facade, with big french windows leading out onto a terrace which has great potential for summers to come. Frustratingly for the brothers, a building site sprung up next door, just as the restaurant opened earlier this week, which is a bit of a blot on the horizon. However it is early days and once the venue is established it will be a tranquil, relaxing and very European place to hang out.
Inside, the restaurant is roomy and airy, one large room with stairs up to the well appointed rest rooms and what will probably become another bar and dining area. The feel is very bistro, with a wide bar down the length of the left wall. On the bar sits a princely Jamon in its ham holder. A serving hatch adorned with beautiful blue patterned tiles is situated at the far end of the room, with leather banquettes down the right side and tables dotted throughout the room. Lots of little, personal touches and attention to detail add up to an idiosyncratic sense of style which is wholly charming.
Upon arrival we took a seat at the bar and refreshed our palates with a Sauvignon spritzer, and some almonds smoked in Perkins' very own smokehouse. We were then presented with some sea salted Padron peppers, a really impressive addition to the menu I thought, something I've not seen in another tapas restaurant in the UK, apart from Pinchito in London. Close my eyes and I could have been perched on a stool in Barcelona's Boqueria.
I'll just digress a moment to point out that although there is plenty of authentic Spanish fare on the menu, this is not strictly Spanish but world tapas. The name Escabeche is especially fitting as this is a dish that although Spanish in name, can be found in locations as diverse as the Philippines, Provence and Jamaica.
So, enough about the ambience, how about the food? The menus are printed on paper table mats which is a nice touch, meaning you can sit and chill with an after work beer and peruse the menu at your leisure, without having the formality of asking for a menu and then being expected to order.
The menu is divided into 6 categories, covering snacks & breads, charcuterie, cheese & cured fish, seafood tapas, meat tapas, vegetables, eggs & salads and puddings. Prices range from around £2.50 for snacks, to £12 for a plate of high quality Iberico ham. Most dishes come in around the £6 mark.There is a £10 set menu of two tapas of your choice, bread, pudding or coffee, which is available Monday to Friday, 12 - 3pm and 5 -6.30pm, as well as a Sunday set menu available up to 9pm, which includes 1 tapa, roast of the day, pudding or coffee, 2 courses for £12 or 3 for £15. That's right, Sunday roast!
We tried to sample a dish from every section of the menu, washed down with copious amounts of Rioja. We started with a cheese board complete with quince jelly, an unctuous goats cheese, Manchego, blue Picos and a crystalline Cheddar. This was complemented by a jar of escabeche cured fish with lemon mayonnaise, which was a vinegary delight. Next we ordered light and crisp tempura fried squid with a garlic mayonnaise, and smoky meatballs in a rich tomato sauce. As a side we went for the classic patatas bravas. Although I must say I was hankering after french fries with Parmesan, the patatas were spot on with just the right amount of spice. Finally we appeased the 5 a day demons with a superfood salad, a concoction of broccoli, sweet potato, roasted beetroot, seeds, sharp feta cheese and rocket, who knew virtuous could taste so good?
As neither of us are particularly sweet toothed we skipped pudding (although later on I noticed Churros with chocolate sauce on the menu, again, nice touch) and returned to the bar for an Amaretto enhanced coffee instead.
It was Friday night, the first Friday Escabeche has been open. By the time we had finished our meal there was a real buzz about the place and bookings were no longer being taken, although capacity hadn't been reached the brothers want to ease in their new staff and get them used to the place and working together. Sitting at the bar we got chatting to a few people as staff whizzed up cocktails (they've all been put through their cocktail making paces).
I know that you may think I'm biased due to my "connections" but I had a really fantastic time at Escabeche, the food is really well done and delicious, the atmosphere is welcoming and I felt relaxed happily into the vibe. (Possibly helped by the Rioja). There have been a couple of teething problems such as the building site next door and a team of new staff finding their feet, but this is definitely a venture to watch, a refreshing change from the uniform, freeze-dried La Tascas you can't seem to get away from these days. Tapas wise there is stiff competition in Nottingham with Iberico and Bar de Nada, but I think the Bridgford location and versatility of Escabeche (it serves continental breakfast fare daily as well as the aforementioned roast dinners) will allow it to flourish.
