Spanish Tapas with Omar Allibhoy at Tapas Revolution

Tapas Revolution, West London: Restaurant Review

Style Points: 2/5
Price: ££
Overall: 4/5 

Despite being located on the ‘Balcony’ of the Food Court in Westfield, Tapas Revolution is a must visit for high quality Tapas with a high quality chef.

Omar Allibhoy, the energetic and enthusiastic owner has taken on the negativity which dwells around restaurants located in shopping centres and has risen well above it.

Former head chef at El Pirata de Tapas, Omar has built up a strong reputation for this skills, and enthusiasm for Iberian cuisine, and this is evident throughout this restaurant.

I say restaurant, though as with most restaurants in Westfield it is not in an enclosed space, and works more as a bar. Instead Tapas Revolution is composed of a long oval counter with surprisingly comfortable stools dotted around it.  It has an immediately inviting appearance with hanging garlic and chilies, herb-filled pots and low lighting, trying its best to transport diners to sunny Andalusian evenings.

Would I Want Seconds?

I would definitely want seconds here, as it is the proudly traditional and authentic tapas menu that makes Tapas Revolution so special.

I managed to sample about ten different dishes over a period of two hours, all of which were exquisite in taste and presentation. Omar, who can often be found working in the open kitchen in the middle of the oval space, explained each of the dishes and their origins to us. From this it is evident how much effort goes into sourcing the ingredients and his genuine passion for his cooking shines through.

It is clear from Omar’s explanations that each ingredient has been thought through in order to recreate authentic Spanish cuisine. We started with special Accitunas hojiblanca partidas, hand-crushed and brine-cured olives, with a fresh and colourful Ensalada de tomate, red and yellow tomatoes, olive and red onion salad. In both these dishes the key ingredients, including the olives and the tomatoes, were sourced from the best available.

Accitunas Hojiblanca Partidas - Hand Crushed Olives

The highlight at Tapas Revolution however is the ham. We tried the Fuet, Catalonian cured pork sausage deriving from the rare and special Mangalica breed. This was divine and the effort put into sourcing the immensely rare breed of pork works wonders on the taste the dish.

 Another favourite of mine was the Arroz negro, black rice with Prawns and Squid, served with Aioli. I loved the combination of the black rice with the Aioli as this combination worked amazingly well. 

We also tried Pulpo a la Gallega, a dish composed of steamed octopus with potatoes and pimentón paprika and Gazpacho de sandía, a traditional chilled vegetable soup with watermelon.

For dessert, instead of the popular Churros Con Chocolate, we tried the equally delicious Crema Catalana, traditional dessert of Spain, made with vanilla pod, cinnamon and lemon.

Arroz Negro - Black Rice with Aioli

Gazpacho De Sandía - Chilled Vegetable Soup 

Could I Afford Seconds?

For the quality of food on offer, Tapas Revolution is very well priced. 

Vegetarian tapas dishes are approximately £4, fish dishes are approximately £5 and the luscious ham dishes cost slightly more and range from £4.50 to £9. I would say about six dishes shared between 2 people would be enough for a meal and would come to about £20 per head.

Additionally, Tapas Revolution also have Set Menus deals for two to three people to share. There are three to choose between, with the Clasico costing £19, De Le Casa £23 and £27 for Del Chefwhich is made up all the chef’s specialities. These Set Menus are a good way to ensure you try a variety of good dishes.

Overall:

For a taste of true Tapas, I highly recommend Tapas Revolution. Due to its location it’s even easier to sample some of dishes here, as it’s open all day and is well designed for a quick re-charge whilst shopping as well as grazing meal at any time of the day.

I am very much looking forward to Omar’s new restaurant opening in Shoreditch soon, and I am sure he’s next venture will score top marks with me.

Address: Tapas Revolution, Kiosk K2024, The Balcony, Westfield London, London W12 7SL

Website: www.tapasrevolution.com