Now, I’m not entirely certain as to whether it was Tom or I who came up with this whole blog idea, but, it’s only our second stop, and I’m friggin’ loving it.
As I work my way from London Bridge tube station to experience the delights of a little restaurant called Jose on a corner of Bermondsey Street, I fall in love. No, not with a handsome stranger (romantic as that may have been), but with my surroundings. Cobbled streets, quirky pubs and inner-city gardens give Bermondsey an air of chic bohemia. A group of people walk past me - boys in cropped trousers and shirts buttoned to the neck, girls in fur coats, vintage dresses and laced-up heeled boots - and I know this is where all the cool kids are (obviously I am not one of them as I do indeed use the term 'cool kids'). Suddenly acutely aware of my own outfit, I spot Tom, looking rather dashing in jeans and a polo neck, and holding two designer shopping bags. Shit, I thought, he’s only bloody come prepared.
‘You’ve been shopping!’, I stated the obvious. ‘Oh yes, I love that polo neck. Don’t you look smart in your new clothes!’
‘Uh, Esther, this isn’t what I bought. I’ve always had these’.
‘Oh. Well, they’re lovely... Shall we go in?’
So in we did go. Only to be told to go out again and come back in about 45 minutes. But hey, busy is a good sign, so off we went looking for pre-tapas drinks. And we found the most fantastic cocktail bar - The Hide Bar. Like I said above, I am loving this blog-venture! Making little discoveries along the way, it really is what travel is all about. Anyway, one Ruby Red Shoes and a Classic Martini later, it was time to head back to Jose. And what a treat we had in store for us!
We had the following:
Manzanilla Pastrana £5.50
Padron Peppers £4.00
Iberico ham £9.00
Tomato bread £3.00
Tortilla £4.00
Croquetas £6.00
Lamb albondigas £5.00
Prawns, chilli £7
Chicken livers £5
Seabream £7.00
Now, of all the above, what would you say would provide the most delicious, inventive taste sensations? The sea bream? The lamb? Oh no, my naive friend. Jose has taught me this truly important lesson – never, ever, underestimate the power of ... tomato, and bread. Because, fuck! That was some damn tasty tomato, and some damn tasty bread! Okay, there was butter and garlic thrown in there, but I tell you, this place is worth a visit for the tomato bread alone. I wish I was eating some right now as I type. In fact, I have since been back to Jose, and yes, the tomato bread was still as scrumptious. (Okay, I may be milking it now, but just go, you’ll see).
What more can I say really. If you don’t mind standing while you eat (though we did get seats eventually) and being bustled a little, it’s a great little place to go for fantastic food in a fun, friendly environment for a pretty reasonable price. In terms of Spanish authenticity - well, who gives a fuck, the food is good!
So, grab that fur shawl and vintage patterned bag, and get down there. Have the tomato bread, have the peppers and have the sea bream. Feel free to comment if you hated any of these, but if you do, that’s your weird taste buds, I’m sure.
Happy eating!
No comments:
Post a Comment