Opera Tavern

I find the name of Opera Tavern a little bit misleading; I feel like it suggests Italian cuisine, when it’s really a tapas place. That said, it’s run by the same people who run Salt Yard and Ember Yard, two better known tapas place around London, and I had this one recommended by a friend. I came with a friend on a weekday evening at 8:30 PM, having made the reservation just two days before. There were a few empty chairs at the bar, and an open table or two, so it may well have been possible to walk in. We had a cute table on the first floor, and I thought it was quite nice, but I could have easily been very happy at the bar too.
We asked the waitress for some recommendations off the menu, and she rattled off at least 8, of which we ordered 5 (they suggest 2 – 3 plates per person). From the bar snacks section on the first page, we went for the Morcilla scotch egg and the Iberico pork and foie gras burger. The first was described to us as being known as «the best Scotch egg in London,» and it did not disappoint. The yolk was beautifully runny, and it came with a tangy chutney. The pork and foie gras burger was equally impressive. I couldn’t figure out how exactly foie gras fit into the equation, and we decided that it must be mixed in with the patty when it is shaped. The patty was served pink, and though I thought the top bun made it a bit unwieldy, when we went without it, it was a good two bites each.
For the tapas, we got the Iberico presa, the crab croquettes, and the chargrilled octopus. I thought the crab croquettes were the best, and something really unique that you don’t see often on the menu. We got four of them, and the aioli totally hit the spot. The Iberico presa had five thin slices of meat, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the tomato based sauce that came with it (this reminded me a bit of the Iberian pork ribs at Barrafina, but the latter was infinitely more satisfying). The chargrilled octopus was also ok, but nothing to write home about. I can rather confidently say that I’ve had better. They were served with an interesting round cake that I didn’t quite think was a chickpea fritter, as described.
Overall I really enjoyed my experience at Opera Tavern. Some dishes were better than others, but all of it was good quality food in a nice restaurant that is extremely well located.

When my parents were in town last week they took me to the Opera Tavern for a tapas meal. I love the concept of tapas, being a greedy pig it appeals to be able to try a little of everything!
We were seated in the upstairs dining room, which has more room for large parties (we were a group of 6). Downstairs there is a bar you can sit at and some smaller tables.
We started off with smoked almonds and fried peppers — eating these is a little like Russian roulette — about one in ten is a hot one! We also got the flatbread with rosemary butter. The