Salt Yard Fitzrovia

I have to start by saying that we really don't get the small plates thing. Its a bit like a Chinese takeaway- lots of different flavours; too many of them at once. We prefer the structure of starter/main/dessert or snacks/starter/main, and the gaps between courses. Don't like the idea of ordering what at least a couple round the table will like and much prefer eating when everyone chooses what they fancy for themselves without negotiation and compromise. chosen for yourself alone. Don't like the way the food comes at you so quickly- its food to eat when you've a train to catch. Still we knew all that before we went to Salt Yard , and thought we'd give it a try regardless because the menu looked interesting . Suffice to say that the meal today wasn't remotely close to persuading us that the in-going view was wrong. We tried a couple of snacks and half a dozen small plates from across their fish/meat/vegetable selections. Everything we ate was palatable , but none of it surprised us by its quality or flavour. The Octopus paled against what you get just down the road at Lima and elsewhere. The Iberico had little flavour beyond that imparted by the barbecue, and was somewhat chewy. The Courgette flower got lost under its strong goats cheese, and everything with tempura (which we like a lot) had batter less crisp than it should be and was somewhat undercooked. Nothing bad to the point that a complaint was warranted, but overall the impression was food that could have been conceived better, sourced better and cooked better with a bit of effort. And then there's value. The wine list has little under £30 . Our bill for the 6 tapas & 2 snacks , with service , 3 glasses of wine came to £88. No dessert, no coffee, no bread ( which they don't provide without charge). Its not expensive but as I've said before on these reviews, there's no good value pricing for food you don't much enjoy. Service was fine, though as indicated the pace was fairly rapid though I imagine that to be a cooking issue not front of house. We made a visit to its Ember Yard sibling a couple of years or so ago, and drew broadly similar conclusions. Can't see us trying either one again I'm afraid.

Fabulous tapas and atmosphere. Love it here.

Great, interesting tapas to delight the taste buds.

One of the big debates in culinary London seems to centre on experimentation and pushing the boundaries of food (think ‘foam’, ‘reduction,’ ‘surprise’ ad nauseum) versus an emphasis on high quality fresh ingredients, prepared simply yet to perfection. Salt Yard definitely makes a strong case for the latter. The very mention of tapas often, to my mind, conjures a potential minefield outside of Spain. Far too regularly, dishes are prepared badly (or simply appalling; once at Floridita, limp tomato and garlic bread sticks unfortunately in my memory) or restrauteurs resort only to the tired clichés (such as meatballs or patatas bravas). Moreover, tapas – increasingly too an overused term and excuse for restuarants to offer the diner small over-priced dishes – affords the opportunity either to be bold and experimental or horribly traditional. Fortunately, Salt Yard does not disappoint. It does not try and do anything too complicated and what it does, it does exceptionally well, with an emphasis on the fresh and the high-quality. Furthermore, my dining comrade and I were delighted by the egality of the menu for it was quite rare, but very much appreciated that there were a roughly equal number of meat, fish and vegetarian options. Staff were helpful and indicated that six dishes (conveniently two of each) would be an appropriate lunch for two people, and this proved to be the case. While it would be possible to fault the order in which the dishes came (they were brought to the table when ready, and there was quite a big gap between some of the dishes), each was prepared to perfection. Salt Yard pulled off the trick of tantalising me with each dish, leaving me wanting more, but then lifting me up again with the next offering. The crispy soft shell crab, fennel salad and piquilo ailoli was among the best I have ever had. Other positives: a good range of sherries (manzanilla went perfectly with our food) and tables adequately spaced (despite it being a small location). Would definitely return and London needs more places such as this.

By far one of the best tapas restaurants in central London. i often eat here with clients, and friends, and find the food delicious. The service is great, the staff never rush you to leave the table, which you can often find in central london restaurants, and they are always on hand to help with any questions. on may occasions i havent even looked at the menu and just asked for the amount and dishes they reccomend, and I have never been dissapointed. I would reccomend anyone who comes to try the courgette flowers, and if you miss the pork belly you are missing out. The menu was refined a few years back to the best of the previous menu, there is little i wouldnt order.

The best tortilla I've eaten in London. You could easily spend, spend, spend here but if you order carefully you can eat really well without giving the bank manager a heart attack The wine list looked amazing but we had cava cocktails to start and then enjoyed some spanish beer. pimientos de padron, courgette flowers, cod cheeks, jerusalem artichoke puree with porcini mushrooms was so flavoursome I almost had a vegetarian conversion moment – ALMOST!

I always go to Salt yard when my best friend is in town. It is our treat. we get sat in a corner, order many many plates, lots of bubbles and eat till we want to pop. Signature dishes for me is the pork belly, courgette flowers, croquets, wow I could go on and on… finish with some pedro Ximenez and churros…yummy! It is always good, service is attentive but not intrusive. I love it and will be back. price wise, for my pocket it is a treat, so I will be seeing them on my birthday!

At Salt Yard, the tapas dishes were brought out one at a time so we could appreciate the flavour of each plate individually while it was still hot. The downside of this, however, was that, due to the slightly slow service, there were some longer than necessary gaps between some dishes – although the wait was generally worth it. Salt Yard is best known for its courgette flower stuffed with goat's cheese and drizzled with honey – trying this innovative dish at Taste of London was what prompted me to a night out at Salt Yard restaurant. The only disappointment on this occasion was that one of our two flowers was missing its goat's cheese stuffing, which is sloppy at these prices. The roasted scallops with chickpea puree and crispy serrano was stunning in flavour and texture, but, like all quality scallops dishes, too small. The butternut squash gnocchi with sultanas, pinenuts, brown butter and sage added a Spanish twist to the standard Italian sage and butter pasta sauce. It was bursting with flavour and I'll be trying this one at home as they published the recipe online. The tender ox cheek, served with a polenta with a texture half way between porridge and risotto, was another homely buttery hug of a dish. Overall the food was excellent and each dish was carefully created and beautifully served.