Tapas in a cozy courtyard

Spicy garlic prawns, 48 yuan Photo by Elve Liu

By Wang Yu 

 

While other hutong restaurants are turning people off with their increasingly commercialized locations, Tapas Cafe reminds diners of the original allure. With the influx of tapas restaurants in town, it is important to distinguish the impressive from the imitative.

Tapas is located in a traditional courtyard home; the owners took one of the rooms, set up a bar and added a dozen tables. The decorations remain faithful to the building’s history: antique-style furniture and traditional fixtures. Trees shade the courtyard and shield it from the hustle and bustle outside. The cozy environment encourages diners to take their time with their food.

The restaurant mainly serves tapas – light snacks or appetizers originating in Spain – but boy, are they good! The Mediterranean garden salad (28 yuan) served with bread and fried pesto helps balance the rich flavors of dishes like sauteed mushrooms (25 yuan).

The chef recommends grilled baby lamb (38 yuan), a hit among diners. It is served on a bed of tasty ratatouille. For seafood lovers, he suggests spicy garlic prawns (48 yuan), which comes in a cocotte.

There’s also Tapas’ original concoction: cheese hotpot with vegetables, fruits and biscuits (138 yuan), an ideal choice in winter. The rose-spread parma ham and goat’s cheese bruschetta (35 yuan) will satisfy any cheese lover.

And what would a Spanish restaurant be without Spanish wine? Spanish white wines are 45 yuan a glass.

Tapas has impressive service: the waiters are attentive and the dishes are served at just the right pace, giving you enough time to savor each dish without it getting cold. The only shame is that it’s too cold to enjoy the food in the courtyard; but that gives us something to look forward to this spring.

Tapas Cafe
Where: 149 Nan Luoguxiang, Dongcheng District
Open: 24 hours
Tel: 8401 8856
Cost: About 80 yuan per person