Dehesa

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.