Decimo

King's Cross, London

Thanks to the sheer volume of pre-launch hype this restaurant has generated, one can't help but enter with a degree of trepidation. Will the signature dish taste as good as it looked in the Sunday supplements? Decimo from Peter Sanchez-Iglesias – the chef behind Bristol's Spanish-leaning Casamia – has set a high bar. Particularly in terms of altitude, with the sultry space set on the top floor of London’s new Standard hotel. ‘Mexican tapas’ is the best way to describe the food. Starters of tostada, tacos and aguachile, a kind of Mexican ceviche, hit the right notes and are best followed with the dish everyone comes to try, Decimo tortilla: humble Spanish omelette elevated with a generous heap of caviar. More than the sum of its Instagram followers, the saline roe cuts the fatty, runny yolk beautifully. It’s hard to ignore the suckling pig shoulder main, where crisp skin and tender meat combine in a dish big enough for three. The space comes to life after 10pm, when London’s media crowd arrives to make the most of the late-night service. If a more subdued experience is what you want, book an early sitting.

Words by Mark Sansom. 020 3981 8888, decimo.london