After a quaint London afternoon at the Royal Academy of Arts exploring their historic Summer Exhibition, head to José Pizarro to conclude your afternoon with a delicious Spanish meal in the spectacular Senate Room, with a menu set by one of the finest Spanish Chef José Pizarro. Doesn’t that sound like a pleasant afternoon? It’s one I would highly recommend now that we are coming out of the Omicron wave and need to experience a cultured afternoon in London.
Conclude your afternoon with a delicious Spanish meal in the spectacular Senate Room.
A Cultured Afternoon in London
Surrounded by high ceilings and superb architecture in an elegant anteroom with grand windows overlooking Burlington Gardens, this space is the height of magnificence. The combination of hot and cold tapas offered by the finest Spanish Chef in London, José Pizarro, truly lived up to all reviews I had read before going to his new venture at the Royal Academy.
“When you see art, it’s all about how it makes you feel… your whole body responds, it’s the same with food – well, good food anyway! The creativity and soul that you find in food and art are the same… you get the same excitement. To be able to bring the two together makes me so happy – it’s an incredibly proud moment for me in my career.” — José Pizarro
As I took a sip of Mas Maciá wine while trying one of the most delicious cheese platters, tabla de quesos, consisting of a selection of goat cheese, blue cheese, and more, I couldn’t help but think of this quote by José Pizarro. Indulging in some tasty cheese and pan de masa madre made me feel like I was sitting in the heart of Madrid, enjoying the best of Spanish Tapas. If you can’t get to Spain, the food will give you a taste of what Spanish Tapas are like.
The food sure will give you a teaser to what one might experience.
Selection of Hot and Cold Tapas
Then we had pan con tomate and garlic toast with Catalan tomatoes with Pizarro extra virgin olive oil. It was a true flavor combination with incredible texture and richness. Next in the line of hot tapas dishes was estofado de lentejas y col rizada frita, a lentil stew served with fried kale proving to be a healthy choice after drooling over cheese and freshly made sourdough bread and I must say it proved to be an underdog of the menu for me with such delightful taste.
Being a big seafood fan, my ultimate highpoint of the meal was trucha asalmonada ahumada from the cold tapas section, serving smoked sea trout with radish, watercress and salmon roe had a soft smoothness in texture along with taste and as I struggled to finish it with each bite, I only wanted more of it.
After all these mouth-watering tapas just when I thought I couldn’t eat more I was tempted to order the much talked about blueberry cheesecake for dessert. It definitely was worth all the food and eating stupors, as it was not only deliciously sweet and delicious, but the taste was just amazing.
Toasted bread made with garlic and Catalan tomatoes served with Pizarro extra virgin olive oil.
Expert Conclusion:
José Pizarro at the Royal Academy of Arts is a large space and the tables are well spaced out. This setting and the combination of hot and cold tapas dishes make this the perfect place for a hearty lunch right after visiting the exhibition, or even a great place to just grab a drink and a few bites. We’ve also included José Pizarro as one of the best restaurants in London Bridge.
It was truly worth all the overeating and the food coma that slipped in with every bite.
✔️ Overall Rating – 8/10
📍 Piccadilly Circus
💰 ££
👨🍳 Our Expert: Palakh Dutta
Website: www.josepizarro.com
IG: @jose_pizarro
IG: @josepizarrorestaurants
Food Writer
