Luxury Spanish Tapas at El Norte Mayfair

Last Updated on November 12, 2025

Spanish Tapas in Style in Mayfair

El Norte restaurant is a rather glamorous Spanish restaurant and bar located in the heart of Mayfair, London. Opened in 2022 by Spanish twins Arian and Alberto Zandi, owners of the popular restaurants Zuaya London and Como Garden in Kensington and of the newly opened Riviera just down the road, we’ve been to El Norte before and reviewed the main menu. This time our focus was on their latest offering, a range of luxury tapas dishes that are perfect for sharing.

What makes El Norte stand out for me is that it is a genuinely luxurious experience. With muted decor, comfortable upholstered chairs and impeccable service, this is far removed from my idea of a traditional tapas bar, if only because there’s no perching on a wobbly bar stool involved!  The dishes at El Norte Mayfair are a modern take on traditional Spanish cuisine and you’ll find old favourites like Pimientos de Padron carefully prepared with a salt, oil and lime dressing alongside dishes with a clear international influence like Bao de Buey Wagyu (a wagyu beef short rib bao with homemade BBQ sauce).  While most things are ‘next level’ this is still somewhere to enjoy authentic Spanish food in Mayfair.

The tapas menu is currently integrated with the a la carte offering and you could easily feast on the Para Picar section (described as ‘nibbles’).  But,  many of the meat and fish options come in tapas size and there are also a selection of side dishes if you feel the need for more plant-based options.  

Do arrive with enough time to visit the elegant and cosy bar at El Norte before you dine.  There you’ll find a fabulous selection of cocktails, both classic and contemporary alongside wines and spirits to sip on.  My companion indulged in a refreshing ‘Spanish Tea’ – bourbon-infused English breakfast tea, simple syrup, lemon juice, pineapple and mint, all topped up with ginger ale. A Spanish twist on a long island iced tea, he really loved the fresh flavours.  And, we watched another guest enjoying cotton candy champagne, an elegant and eye-catching glass of fizz poured over candy floss to make perfect pink bubbles.  I sipped on cava – the by-the-glass option is a very respectable NV Mont Marçal Cava Reserva, Cataluña, Spain which comes from the heart of the Penedes and is made from a blend of the classic cava grapes – Macabeo, Xarello and Parellada with Chardonnay adding softer notes and with 18 months ageing on lees giving great balance and fresh yeasty aromas. 

The wine list at El Norte is extensive, with the focus, as you’d expect, on quality Spanish wines but with a decent selection of French and Italian wines too.  Even if you opt for wine by the glass, you’ll get something interesting and exceptional here.  Throughout the meal, we enjoyed a bottle of 2020 `875m Finca Carbonera` EL COTO, Chardonnay which sells for £63 but is also available by the glass or carafe.  It’s a well-rounded, creamy wine which is robust enough to work with a range of dishes.  If you do want to pair wines, then I’d suggest ordering by the glass, with plenty of options on the menu from £13.50 through to £199 for a glass of 2015 cuesta de las liebres, alma carraovejas!

As I mentioned, we ordered from the a la carte menu but deliberately picked tapas portions and tapas-style dishes, mixing a few classics with some of the more unusual and luxurious-sounding items on the menu. First to arrive was a trio of dishes including an amuse bouche of a little soup made with smoked cauliflower, lime zest and jamon.  I probably wouldn’t have ordered it but was genuinely thrilled by the delicious creamy mouthful.

Padron peppers are an old favourite of mine, here elevated by the use of excellent quality Arbequina Spanish olive oil and a little sea salt.  The peppers were lightly seared and had just the right amount of smokiness.

Perhaps my favourite dish of the evening though were the tiny baby artichokes served with Iberico ham.  Succulent and sweet, the artichokes were perfectly complemented by the morsels of ham. 

Next to arrive, a show-stopping Pan Tumaca – warm homemade toast rubbed with roasted confit garlic and topped with freshly grated Spanish tomatoes, olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt.  It’s a dish that at El Norte is prepared at the table for you – and all the better for that.

Even for someone who purports not to like eggs, the Tortilla de Trufa is not to be missed.  It’s a Spanish-style omelette filled with potatoes and topped with Manchego cheese and freshly grated black truffle.  And it tastes just as good as it sounds

Our final dish from the Para Picar section of the menu was Tartar de Gamba Roja with Caviar – a red prawn tartare with truffle burrata and caviar, dainty and delicious, this is one I didn’t want to share.  

From the meat section of the menu, we picked a tapas portion of the beef fillet with foie gras and roasted almonds.  Served with a rich jus and with a generous scattering of toasted flaked almonds, the fillet was perfectly cooked with a delicious char on the outside and a pink succulent centre.  The foie gras was, perhaps, a little well done for our taste but the whole combination of flavours was truly delicious. 

Asparagus with Romesco sauce was grilled and tender, topped with more almonds and sitting on a heap of plate-lickable (no I didn’t!) Romesco.

A refreshing green salad with tomato and olive oil was suitably refreshing. The tapas portion of  Patatas Panaderas – Spanish oven-baked potatoes with rosemary, was more than enough for the pair of us with wonderfully melting slices of potatoes that seem to have been slow-cooked with plenty of olive oil.

Dessert was probably not necessary, but I am easily persuaded!

My companion got in early with a request for the hot coulant of white chocolate and pistachio.  I had a taste and it was utterly delicious with a perfectly runny white chocolate centre topped with morsels of crunchy pistachio to add textural contrast.

But, I was equally happy with my chestnut mousse served with generous dollops of toffee cream.

Coffee to round off the meal was excellent quality – and we left replete and happy.

El Norte
19-20 Dover St,
Mayfair,
London
W1S 4LU