Pizarro

194 Bermondsey St, London

José Pizarro carves wafer-thin slices of jamón Iberico Manuel Maldonado; it’s pretty much the best bit of pig to ever leave Extremadura. The slivers of sweet, delicious fat simply melt onto your tongue. Give me a plate of this, and nothing else, and I’d be a very happy man. A good start. This is Pizarro’s second solo venture, a stone’s throw from his tapas bar José. It has the same cool buzz, but you get to sit at a table while you eat. The dishes are more of a meal than tapas; you order starters, mains and desserts. Although, as you’d expect, it’s hard to resist ordering smaller dishes to share. Our advice? Don’t resist. The rich, intense flavours of the duck livers are sweetened beautifully with fino; salty and tender boqueróns on toast are perfectly paired with a creamy soft boiled egg; rich orange Clarence Court yolks were made for Pizarro’s salmon tartare and, well, the quail and romesco is something else. Bigger plates such as secreto Iberico (the cut between shoulder and loin) with olive oil mash, and hake with black cabbage and clams, also hit the mark, but, in truth, the starters are hard to beat. Downsides? They don’t take bookings.