Kyra's reviews
Review of Dehesa
18 Apr 08, 14:16
Please sir, may I have some more? 
Ever since I went to The Salt Yard, I have wanted to try its smaller sister restaurant, Dehesa. At the former, I spent an entire Saturday afternoon gobbling delicious tapas, quaffing glasses of exquisite wines, and rounding off the whole gorgeous experience by stuffing my face with deliciously sinful chocolate cake. I whiled away hours with a friend, eating at the bar, the staff politely leaving us to our gluttony and overindulgence, only stopping by occasionally to make measured suggestions.
Dehesa is a different experience somewhat. I know I should try not to compare the two, but I couldn’t help it, given the similarities of their menus and wine lists. Firstly, Dehesa is small. The whole place seats maybe 60 or 70 people, and everyone is perched on high stools and small tables. The place fills up very quickly, and they don’t take bookings, so there’s a definite feel of rushing you in and out.
We ordered the stellar courgette flowers stuffed with Monte Enebro cheese and drizzled with honey (I’d had these at Salt Yard and they floored me), plus mozzarella wrapped in proscuitto, sumptuous olives and grilled, oil-drizzled bread, chicken saltimbocca and grilled tiger prawns. The food is flawless. But there isn’t enough of it. The prawns were more than £6 a plate, and that included a total of 4 of them. Four measly prawns. The wines are spectacular, and the rosé prosecco seemed popular too. I can’t fault the desserts either. We left satisfied, but not overly full, and our bill with two wines by the glass and tap water was just shy of £50, so not incredible value for money. Had I been given more time to savour the goods, and been left to steep in my own juices in a dark corner for a while, I would have happily ordered more and not balked at the price of the prawns.
Quite simply, this place would benefit from more a roomier, more comfortable locale, and a slightly less efficient kitchen and staff. I can’t believe I’m writing that, but it’s true- they need to relax a little. Just a little.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Camino
13 Sep 07, 12:34
Que Bueno! 
I went to Camino last night after stumbling upon it whilst looking for a place to have cocktails. The sound of the lively bar and Spanish music was what drew my attention at first, but the look of the impressive glass-domed restaurant next door was what enticed me to stay.
We ordered house red wine at £12 a bottle, and I was pleasantly surprised by the price and the quality. I began, from that moment, to feel a bit like I was on holiday. Always a good sign.
The menu was surprisingly concise, but spoke of a confidence in their dishes; what they did do, they did very well. My boyfriend and I had the pan con tomate, a tasty Spanish-style bruschetta, and then decided to go for what seemed to be the menu's flagship item- the huge Charolais rib-eye steak, aged and hung for 25-30 days; enough for 2 people. With a hearty side order of pimentón-sprinkled patatas a lo pobre con huevos, we were more than satisfied. We left with a bill of £30 each including 12.5% tip, which we felt was justified by the friendly service we had received, and the feeling of heading tipsily back to the real world from a little gastronomic tour of Spain. Highly recommended.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.