Bar Tozino

Words by Simon Difford

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Address: Lassco Ropewalk, Maltby Street, London, SE1 3PA, United Kingdom
Email: info@bartozino.com
Website: view Bar Tozino’s website
Door: Open door
Style: Tapas bar
Food: Tapas/plates & dishes
Established: 2012

Review

The railway arches around Bermondsey's Maltby Street, particularly on Ropewalk, have turned into a foodie's heaven as those in the know abandon Borough Market to the tourists and follow the railway line half-a-mile east. One of the attractions is a stall selling Jamon Iberico and in October 2012, its owners, Spanish master ham carver Chuse Valero and his Welsh business partner, Zac Fingal-Rock Innes, opened this fabulous little bar in the railway arch behind their stand.

You and I may describe this cosy place as being a 'tapas bar' but the owners prefer the term 'jamón bodega', referencing the lean, acorn-fed Jamon Ibérico sold here freshly carved from, or indeed on, the bone as a whole leg. Other tapas-style dishes include platters of Spanish cheese, charcuterie, almonds and olives. In true Spanish style, these are washed down with copitas of truly fabulous sherry and tumblers of Spanish wines.

Lassco, owners of the arch, specialises in architectural salvage and this little bars interior is something of a showroom with reclaimed oak cladding exposed brick walls and the U-shaped bar counter. Hams hung from the walls and ceiling are atmospherically lit by green enamelled factory lamps, generating a warm and cosy ambiance.

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