A new twist on tapas

Perhaps it is of little consequence since at Dehesa no bookings are taken. Just think corner of Ganton and Kingly; not far from Liberty's.

This Spanish-Italian restaurant is a sibling of Salt Yard, in Goodge Street, which offers the same pairing of the two countries' wines, cured meats, cheeses and small dishes which tend to be more elaborate than the usual tapas.

Most of the seating at Dehesa is rows of bar stools at high counters but there are a few regular tables. Because the person I was meeting for lunch knew Sanja Morris, one of the owners, she was able to secure one tucked into the bay of a window.

It gave us scope to manage an array of items chosen from the meat, fish and vegetable tapas. I was leaving a taste of the hams for another visit. More of that later.

Salt cod croquetas with romesco sauce provided necessary saline correction to deep-fried courgette flowers stuffed with Monte Enebro cheese and drizzled too enthusiastically with honey.

Lamb chops cooked a la plancha with hot mint sauce were served pleasingly pink but, anticipating heat in the sauce from chilli, I was disappointed to find it was just heat from the stove. Warming up mint sauce isn't a great idea. At £7.75 this was the most expensive item on the printed menu.

Polenta cakes with Gorgonzola were ideal piquant starchiness and braised Swiss chard with tomato sauce and poached egg was a simple assembly gratifyingly carefully made.

Looking at the menu again, I wonder why I didn't order wild chicory with grilled blood orange and salsa verde. It reads so incredibly well.

Figs roasted in sherry come with burnt lemon ice-cream, which is a brilliant flavour; citrus caramelised, intensified. I thought it was nice that some cantucci-like biscuits - but with a bit of chocolate thrown in - came (unasked) with the coffee but I noticed later that they appeared on the bill at £2.75. A slice of grilled sourdough bread is £2.75. Little things can add a lot to the bill.

Sherries, ports and wines are well chosen and fairly priced but perched on a stool, jammed up against your neighbour, is this where you would choose a bottle from the list of justifiably expensive fine wines?

I tried to eat again at Dehesa - remember that name - last Friday evening. I even left a plaintive message on the answering machine. But at 9pm the premises were rammed, too noisy for conversation, too long a wait (an hour was predicted) even for the graceful slices of jamón Iberico de Bellota. Staff are charming. I hope they stick to their no-booking guns.

Dehesa
Ganton Street, London, W1F 9BP