28th February 2007
Cold spanish
Fino's one of those destination restaurants. Famous owners (Sam and Eddie Hart), plenty of press coverage, right up there in any thinking diner's list of Spanish restaurants they can remember by name.
So I was pleased to be invited there for dinner last week. It ticks all the swank boxes nicely - lots of polished wood and glass, serious black-clad staff who speak very softly - the whole shebang.
We ate early - about 6.30, so it's not Fino's fault, but the place was completely empty, which lent the whole dinner a slightly surreal air. Something about an absence of people in a large restaurant makes me feel as if all the staff are watching my every mouthful, but it filled up after a while and we were able to relax.
Good things? The tomatoes on toast - simple to make, and really difficult to get just right, as these were. The mixture of acidic tomato, raw garlic power and crunchy toasted flavours was perfect. A plate of lomo (cured pork loin) chorizo and ham was also fantastic, if a little on the small side for twelve quid.
We also ordered some balls of salt cod with a creamy dipping sauce, which tasted exactly like I hope fish and chips is going to taste but never does.
Lest you think that Fino can do no wrong, our milk-fed lamb cutlets were a real disappointment. Four tiny bites of plain lamb for twelve pounds isn't necessarily a bad thing - if the lamb in question makes your mouth water and throws you into rapture about the quality of the meat and its cooking. This just didn't do that - overseasoned, overcooked and poorly presented.
We consoled ourselves with a pair of excellent creme catalans and a glass of exquisitely jammy red dessert wine which I can't quite stop thinking about.
So go - I had a (nearly) fantastic dinner, and so should you.
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