I have long since declared my affection for tapas. So when, after enjoying a lovely dinner at Chotto Matte with Shiima, I saw Lobos Meat & Tapas across the street, I was intrigued … very intrigued, especially with Meat in the restaurant’s name, which filled me with excitement, as I love my meat/fish. I asked Shiima for her work schedule and immediately booked a solo excursion for myself at the first opportunity.
Lobos Meat & Tapas, as the name suggests, is a Spanish tapas restaurant with a keen focus on its meat cuts. There are two restaurants – Soho & Borough – but I went to the restaurant on Frith Street, right in the heart of Soho. When I arrived about 6PM, the restaurant wasn’t busy but it wasn’t sparse either. I was checked in by a jovial waiter and pointed to a table just to the side. The restaurant is a bit narrow, but the space is maximised adequately, décor is chilled, almost gastro pub-like, and the vibe is relaxed.
What I ordered
After consultation with a waiter, I ordered the prawn croquetas with squid ink aioli, octopus leg, secreto iberico & mojo potatoes, and Uruguayan picanha & bone marrow.
To begin with, I wasn’t entirely sure about my order as I failed to do my usual research of a restaurants menu before my first visit, so I waited with hope. My waiter let me know that they’d bring the fish dishes first and then change my plate and bring the meat dishes, which I thought was smart.
Review of the food
Both fish dishes arrived at the same time. Prawn croquetas with squid ink aioli is always a hit with me. In other restaurants, the croqueta itself is filled with the squid ink, but this wasn’t, instead filled with a delicious prawn stuffing and set on top of a good portion of squid ink aioli. I didn’t like the Octopus leg. It was a large portion of octopus set on slices of sweet potato and sprinkled with pieces of chorizo, which I enjoyed. The octopus itself was tasteless and I couldn’t really tell how it was cooked.
The secreto iberico was good. Four strips of delicious, although minimally seasoned pork. I didn’t touch the mojo potatoes lol. The Uruguayan picanha & bone marrow was err … okay. Firstly, I forget to tell them how I like my steak cooked (well done), so it arrived rare, which then shades how much I can opine on the dish. The bone marrow though, was delicious … it is undoubtedly an acquired taste, but it’s a taste I’ve certainly acquired through decades of devouring chicken bones lol.
Lobos Meat & Tapas was enjoyable, although I expected more. But it seems as I look through pictures of the dishes on the Internet that I made the wrong choice with my order, as there are several aesthetically mouth-watering dishes on the menu. I’ll definitely be going back, and I’ll drag friends of family along with me. I recommend for a relaxed date, lovers of meat and pork, and groups (max 5-6). Also, Lobos Meat & Tapas is fairly priced … although, I guess that largely depends on what you deem fair lol.
Cuisine: Spanish Tapas
Dress Code: Casual
Star Dish: Prawn croquetas with squid ink aioli
Price: £25 each (excluding alcohol)
Rating: 3.4 out of 5
Lobos Meat & Tapas Soho
48 Frith St, Soho, London W1D 4SF
To Reserve a table, call 020 3019 5082 or at OpenTable
