LA BODEGA | FOOD REVIEW
15 St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2037 1823 / www.labodegacardiff.co.uk
Tapas bars are rarely any good unless they are opened by (a) someone Spanish and (b) someone who understands what tapas is. Thankfully La Bodega has both and is miles above the chain affairs that we get subjected to. The front area of the restaurant has high stools on wine casks and a long bar, with a more relaxed seating area at the back with an open view to the kitchen. To start we ignored the main dishes on offer, which were mainly fish, steak, and pork, and went straight for an assortment of tapas. The complimentary bread tasted homemade, ideal for dipping in the various sauces. Our feast arrived in the form of: chorizo a la Rioja (chorizo cooked in red wine), croquetas de jamon (classic Spanish croquettes), pulpo a la gallega (octopus with potatoes and paprika), desearia, las nuevas patatas bravas alioli (new potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce), montadito de cerdo al asturiana (fillet of pork on bread with olive oil) and gambas pil pil (prawns cooked in olive oil and chillies). Ooh, I almost forgot the dessert, a shared portion of cuajada con miel (cottage cheese with honey): absolutely gorgeous. The octopus with potatoes and paprika were an unexpected highlight, rich and tasty, with a smokey flavour. Very spicy and lots of garlic, which is to be expected and was authentic, so don’t be surprised. A bottle of Rioja, Bodegas Lan Crianza, was a perfect accompaniment to our choices. La Bodega is slightly more expensive than other local tapas bars but this was by far the best tapas experience I’ve had in Wales by a long way.
words ANTONIA LEVAY
photo TOOLMANTIM