Mar I Terra

Address: 14 Gambia Street, (off Union St, close to Southwark tube), London, SE1 0XH, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7928 7628
Email: info@mariterra.co.uk
Website: view Mar I Terra’s website
Door: Open door/walk-ins
Style: Tapas bar
Food: Set menu
Established: 2000

Review

The "tapas•sangria•wines" sign written on the window neatly sums up the offering here. The sangria is served in clay jugs and although the all-Spanish wine list offers few bins by the glass, it more than makes up for this with detailed and considered tasting notes, and for the value of the wines on offer. Delia Smith's signature on the wall points towards the standard of cooking with a sophisticated menu featuring every classic tapas dish you'd hope to see yet with a Mar I Terra twist.

Mar Terra is housed in a rectangular building which stands alone in the shadow of the London Bridge to Charing Cross railway viaduct, and when approached from Southwark tube station it looks a like the shard sprouts from its roof. A former pub for years called The Hop Pole, inside the original bar counter and etched back bar mirrors survive. The rustic rectangular room has a bare wooden floor, dark wooden pub-like furnishings and lime green walls and is charmingly simple in its appeal. There's a poky but homely shaded terrace out back and windy staircase leading to a first floor restaurant.