Dehesa: No Longer Soho’s Best Kept Secret

I have ummed and ahhed about telling anyone about this place. It’s small, with limited seating and is always busy. If I tell more people I’ll never get a seat. But that seems cruel, when it is without a doubt one of best places I’ve eaten in London.

Dehesa is quite simply a bloody good tapas restaurant. In fact, my other half said: “The best tapas I’ve eaten outside of Spain”. He should know, he lives there.

Situated just off Carnaby Street, with long tables and booths, Dehesa serves cured meats, hams, salamis, a variety of hot and cold tapas as well as nibbles and excellent wines by the glass.

When we arrived at 8pm we had to wait 40 minutes for a table, but they took my mobile, sent us off to the pub round the corner and gave us a call when the table was ready – how simple, and efficient.

We started with some padron peppers and quails eggs, which were excellent, followed by sour dough bread with pungent olive oil and Spanish meats bursting with rich Mediterranean flavour. Next was scallops on cauliflower puree, which was outstanding, and then pork belly on cannelinni beans which was so delicious I’ve dreamt about it every night since. The crackling was so sticky and crunchy it got stuck in your teeth – the best cooked, tender pork I’ve had in ages. We finished off with some Spanish cheeses, served on a beautiful wooden cheeseboard.

The service was faultless, friendly, efficient, informal but not slap-dash. The décor was cosy, with big windows, long wooden tables and sumptuous booths. There’s even a neat little private room downstairs. Everything there is understated but perfect, and the star of the show is the food. The bill came to £75 which included a £30 bottle of wine, so I suppose it’s not that cheap. But I don’t care. It’s wonderful, a real refuge from the chain restaurants and tourist crap currently suffocating Soho.

So, go there, definitely, just be prepared to wait for a table. And please don’t tell too many people about it.

Dehesa
25 Ganton Street
Soho W1F 9BP

Tel: 020 7494 4170