Las Tapas de Lola

Lola is where Irish chefs go to hang out on their day off, the cool school space that is the industry insiders dining room of choice. Vanessa and Anna were heroic activists during the panic of lockdowns, offering to buy stock when restaurants weren’t insured, then scrubbing and cleaning their own gaff when they were shut down. Their sense of community spirit with the restaurant family extends straight to their customers, many of whom regard Lola as a home-from-home, the place you go to switch off, and switch on to great Spanish food. The cooking is lyrical and gutsy: lentil stew with chorizo, pork belly and black pudding; house albondigas in tomato sauce; pig’s cheeks; octopus with paprika and potato; gratin of scallops; fried padron peppers. There are lots of lovely Spanish wines, excellent drinks, and you can expect to get high on the magic atmosphere of Las Tapas de Lola alone.