I worked with OpenTable on this restaurant review, who contributed towards the cost of a meal at Iberica Marylebone in London. Words and pictures are my own.
After visiting and reviewing The Ivy back in February, we were once again offered the opportunity to book any restaurant in London via the OpenTable website to review. We chose Iberica Marylebone, as we both love tapas and Spanish food in general – plus it’s very close to Great Portland Street tube station which is only a few tube stops from Paddington, and it’s nice to be able to get home easily afterwards!
My partner had been previously and enjoyed it; I decided to pop into London and meet him from work so we could try it out.
Restaurant décor and ambience
Situated on Great Portland Street with the entrance on the corner of Devonshire Street, the restaurant is quite imposing, with very high ceilings. The doors are actually really tough to open, so you need to give them a good yank!
Inside, the windows go all the way from floor to ceiling letting in a lot of natural light, and if you get a seat by a window it’s a great spot to people watch.
Fun fact, I am fairly certain saw Peter Crouch walking along the road just outside, AND I recognised him, which is extremely unlike me as my knowledge is just shockingly bad where sports people are concerned. Anyway, I’m not saying you’ll definitely spot a celebrity out of the window, but you might.
The décor is really quite special and very on-theme with large lights and a lot of Spanish-style tiles, and even mirrored ceilings.
What with my home renovation going on I’ve been watching a lot of Interior Design Masters recently and got a whole new appreciation for how hard it is to do well.
Iberica strikes the right balance of the light and airy main part of the restaurant which is great for daytime dining (where we were sat and is pictured), and around the back is a darker and more secluded area for evening diners with plush furnishings (not pictured, as people were trying to enjoy their dinners there).
Food at Iberica Marylebone
The food is mainly tapas, and you’re advised to choose two to three per person to start. They also offer meats and cheeses, with Iberica jamon as a speciality. There is a large counter with the jamon legs, which adds a bit of theatre to the whole thing.
We thought we’d best try some as it’s obviously a big deal to them, but to be honest, I did not appreciate the jamon as much as I maybe should have. To me it seemed really expensive for what we got. I understand that it’s award winning, but it just seemed like a really small portion of anything for just shy of £15. I probably wouldn’t bother with it next time. Veeno down the road in Reading offer a whole meat platter and cheese platter for a similar price and my heathen mouth can’t taste the difference.
However, the tapas; now that was good stuff.
We chose (and you can see pictured below, left to right):
Croquetas: Contained a creamy sauce and serrano ham. A small portion contained six croquetas.
Pulpo: Grilled octopus with potatoes and allioli. Very, very good.
Gambas blancas: Portion of four very large king prawns. Tasty, and not drowned in sauce like some versions of this dish.
Pitu chicken rice: A dark cockeral meat with paella rice. Reminiscent of duck or something gamey, but delicious.
Hake tempura: Tasted just like a teeny tiny fish and chips to be honest. Lovely, but nothing extraordinary.
We don’t often do dessert but I wasn’t feeling overly full so we decided to share a portion of churros.
Drinks selection
Iberica Marylebone offers a large, comprehensive selection of Spanish wines; red, white and sparkling as well as a cocktail menu, which you can find on the Opentable website.
It being central London, there really is nothing available for under the £30 mark, save for the house wines which come in at £29. We decided on something a little more special but they didn’t have it in stock, and tried to upsell us to a £40+ bottle, which to be honest I just didn’t want to pay for.
I do love wine, and will gladly pay £10 for a nice bottle at home, but four times that even in a restaurant is my limit really. Plus I’m not particularly au fait with Spanish wines and I didn’t want to be stuck with a fifty quid bottle of something that tasted like Chardonnay – perish the thought – so we opted for the house white instead. I say you can never really go wrong with house wine; its job is to be drinkable and inoffensive, and it was. I doubt I’d pay that much for a bottle of something that could best be described as inoffensive anywhere outside of London, but them’s the breaks.
What it cost – and was it worth it?
In total, our meal with a shared dessert and bottle of wine came to just under £150 including service charge, which they add for you – because, London.
It’s more than we’d spend usually, however, the food really was lovely and the atmosphere and décor is something you don’t get in every restaurant. I would therefore suggest that it’s a bit more than just a casual dining experience and more suited to an occasion like a birthday or a special date night.
How to book
If you fancy trying out Iberica Marylebone, or want to browse meals out in London, check out the OpenTable website to see what’s available and book! You can see special offers and reviews to help you decide what to book, and you’ll receive confirmations and reminders about your reservation for free. There’s even a chance to earn points and rewards.