Pizarro Restaurant & Bar

Words by Simon Difford

Pizarro Restaurant & Bar image 1

Address: 194 Bermondsey Street, Bermondsey, London, SE1 3TQ, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7378 9455
Email: herve@josepizarro.com
Website: view Pizarro Restaurant & Bar’s website
Door: Open door
Style: Restaurant bar
Food: Set menu
Established: 2012

Review

Jose Pizarro opened his standing-room-only sherry and tapas bar further up fashionable Bermondsey Street in 2011 and so popular was it that he followed this by taking over what was Bermondsey Kitchen at the bottom of the street.

He transformed what was a stark restaurant into an intimate warm space with bare brickwork, wooden ceiling and sculpted banquettes. The frontage has panes that slide open in the summer, giving the room a bright airy feel, offering views of St. Mary Magdalen opposite.

An open kitchen serves up delicious Spanish plates - more adventurous and authentic than your typical high street tapas selection, and similarly there's a drinks collection to match. The sherry menu resembles that in Jose, but here the USP is an impressive cava selection, with several available by the glass at both ends of the price spectrum. Ask the friendly Spanish staff to recommend one of the more unfamiliar producers to match with what you're eating.

Although primarily a restaurant, Pizarro is wonderfully relaxed and you're welcome just to pop in for a drink, although while sat at the bar you're bound to end up eating at least a tapas size snack.