Tapas Revolution Brighton A Review
Get caught up in the passion, colours tastes and sounds of Spain with Tapas revolution by celebrity chef and culinary wizard Omar Allibhoy. New to Brighton Town Centre
If I had to pick one type of regional cuisine to live on for the rest of my days it would be authentic Spanish Tapa. I love the social aspect of going out for Tapas almost as much as the food itself. For me, tapas are the embodiment of sharing. Eating from the same plate enhances conversations, encourages adventurous dishes and brings us all closer together. Spanish chef Omar Allibhoy, the brains behind restaurant chain Tapas Revolution believes that food, like life, is indeed best when sharing with friends and people you love. He opened his first Tapas Revolution in Shepherd’s Bush in 2010 and by 2015 the revolution had spread outside of London with new branches opening in Birmingham, Newcastle, Bath and Sheffield. As well as running a successful business, Omar has won several awards and built a career as a popular TV chef. So when we received an invite for a journalists lunch to check out the newly opened Tapas Revolution in the heart of Brighton we jumped at the chance, and let me tell you now it surpassed all our already very high expectations.
First through the door soon after they opened we got the chance to have a look around and peruse the menu before the masses arrived. Obviously, Spain and Spanish culture is a huge drive behind Tapas Revolution, Omar being from Madrid, and this theme really carries well throughout the airy restaurant and the food. I really like that the dish titles are written in Spanish as it adds another authentic touch, and it’s always nice to learn new words. The décor of the restaurant is super Spanish, too, and I absolutely love when a restaurant has character and style like this.While we waited for everyone to arrive, we were spoiled with slices of wafer thin Iberico ham carved by Omar. It was interesting to watch him and the sheer look of concentration as he masterfully tended to the ham. Hand carved fresh for each order, I had forgotten how much I adore Iberico and this was of the highest quality. If you have not had the pleasure before, this is definitely a dish to try, especially when washed down with a rather excellent Spanish Cava.
Once ushered through to our seats our new found friends and ourselves were all keen to place our order after having already checked out the menu, which aside from a daily changing Paella and a set lunch menu, has a core focus is on tapas (unsurprisingly), split into five subheadings: ‘nibbles’, ‘carnes’, ‘pescasos’, and ‘verduras’. My wife and I plump to share a paella “mixto” and everyone on the table chooses a variety of tapas to share amongst ourselves as we chat over nibbles of ‘tabla de pan’ a Sharing mixed bread board with alioli, extra virgin olive oil and sherry balsamic for dipping.
Our Tapa begin to arrive in no time and before long we have a table full of deliciously diverse dishes. We are all able to try a bit of everything and each and every plate of food was absolutely delightful. Highlights for me include; “Torreznos Con Mojo Dulce,” crispy pork belly with a sweet and spicy sauce. Slow cooking was certainly evident in this delectable dish as every morsel had a pleasing crunch before melting in the mouth to release all the flavours of this flavourful cut of meat and the tantalising sauce it had soaked up in the process. From the Verduras section we thoroughly enjoyed “Berenjenas Fritas,” crispy fried aubergine with spiced honey and thyme dressing. A simple but stunning tapas that is served all across Andalusia, cooked to perfection by Omar and his team with a subtle sweet sauce with savoury notes dancing a merry jig on the tongue with each mouthful. I also have to mention my favourite tapa, Padron Peppers, which I was grateful to see on the menu and even more delighted when the traditional sea salt coating was further complimented with a delicate drizzle of sweet jus which both surprised and enthralled.
The Paella was well worth waiting for, though after stuffing ourselves silly with all the lovely tapas we struggled to finish it. It had such a wonderful depth of flavour I had not experienced in a paella before and the meat and seafood was of obvious high quality and cooked to perfection with some of the plumpest juiciest prawns that have ever past my lips. Incredible.
Completely and utterly stuffed and unable to move we were captive audiences for the waitresses to come round and offer desserts so we simply could not refuse. My wife and I shared a baked to order “coulant de chocolat” which was insanely good! Velvety smooth and incredibly rich chocolate served with clotted cream. heavenly!
After our wonderful long lunch we all agreed we will certainly be back to Tapas Revolution to see what other dishes culinary genius Omar has to offer. The team behind Tapas Revolution really are masters of their craft and I cannot recommend this place enough. It really does have everything you could wish for, from incredible plates of food from a menu that changes seasonally, with only the finest freshest ingredients used, delicious Spanish wines and an exceptional level of service from friendly knowledgeable staff. A must visit.
Tony Shattell
Tapas Revolution
165 North Street
Brighton
BN1 1EA