Last Updated on February 20, 2026
A Touch of Spain in Battersea at Boqueria
What is better than a tapas evening with friends? Plenty of delicious food to share, cocktails, wine and a relaxed dining experience where everyone simply enjoys being together. Named after the historic covered food market in Barcelona, Boqueria in Battersea is an old favourite of ours. It’s a tapas restaurant that embraces the best of Spanish cuisine with a fabulous menu that includes all your old favourites but is liberally scattered with innovative and delicious creations, with dishes elevated from the traditional into something quite spectacular.
Suffice it to say, the speciality I remember best from the first time I visited Boqueria (about 10 years ago) is the cochinillo – it’s still on the menu today and, unless you are following a plant-based diet or don’t eat pork, you should try it. Boqueria also has a specials board, so we ordered a mix of traditional dishes and specials along with a bottle of mellow, complex Pomal Crianza 2020, a delicious aged Garnacha and Tempranillo blend from Rioja which might just be a new favourite autumnal wine for me.
It didn’t take long for a board of bread and ali-oli (garlic and herb mayonnaise) to appear and I’d honestly have been happy with just that for a while. But, we’d seemingly ordered half the menu and dishes started to appear at a pace.
From the specials board, tuna ceviche with grilled avocado turned out to be a unique presentation, with the avocado halves used in the same way as you might serve a prawn and avocado cocktail, but this time filled with light, piquant ceviche. It was an excellent concept and one I suspect I’ll try making at home. Lighter than its older avocado cocktail big sister, the mixture made a refreshing and healthy tapas.
Artichoke tempura with Romesco was another dish from the special board and another winner. Roman-style baby artichokes, deep fried in the lightest tempura batter and then served with a creamy red pepper and almond Romesco.
Keen to order a salad, we picked the Queso de Cabra—a goat’s cheese and wild rocket salad with tomato jam and sunflower seeds.
I would have liked to see just one plain green or tomato salad on the menu, but this made a rather spectacular but filling alternative, and I loved the presentation: a generous slice of cheese topped with grilled tomato jam.
Patatas Bravas, those mouthwatering little cubes of fried potatoes drenched in a lightly paprika-spiced salsa brava, are mandatory. These didn’t disappoint, with the crispiest potatoes and ample quantities of brave sauce.
The aforementioned Cochinillo was just as fabulous as I’d remembered. It is served on a bed of sweet potato crisps with a delicate apple sauce and a dollop of refreshing lime sorbet to cut through the unctuous meat. Suckling pig has quite a unique flavour and texture, it’s a guilty pleasure but one that I can never help but indulge in when I spot it on offer.
Finally, we ordered Arroz Negro – bomba rice with squid, mussels, prawn and ali-oli – a cooked-to-order traditional rice dish that relies on homemade stock and careful cooking to produce the kind of perfect results we enjoyed at Boqueria. I wish we’d had space enough to enjoy a full paella and fully intend to go back soon to sample either the chicken or the seafood version that is on offer. If you are dining on a budget, it’s an excellent choice – a sharing main dish that will set you back £16.90 a person (or £13.90 for the black rice we picked!)
We didn’t try the Jamon Iberico or the mixed cheese and charcuterie board, despite being very tempted. What is served is clearly authentic and top quality – at a price which defies the Zone 1 London location. Instead, desserts. Boqueria Tapas has a short but elegant selection of options, all homemade by their own pastry chef. We picked ‘Spain’s famous burnt cheesecake’ and churros con chocolate, both classic dishes.
The tarta de queso was perfect, with just the right caramelisation to counter the intensely creamy and light filling. You can order them to collect if you ever fancy serving one at home!
Churros con chocolate were immaculately served, light, warm, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside with delicious molten chocolate to dip them in. Next time I’ll be trying the Tarta de Santiago – another favourite. But, there just wasn’t space on this occasion.
What we like best about Boqueria Tapas in Battersea is that it’s a local restaurant well worth travelling for. Once you are inside the doors of what used to be a bank, you could just as easily be in the back streets of Barcelona. There’s a well-balanced menu with plenty of choices but without that overwhelming feeling you sometimes get with tapas. And, the staff are super friendly and helpful. All that at prices which won’t make your bank manager cry.
Boqueria Tapas
278 Queenstown Rd,
Nine Elms,
London SW8 4LT
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