Tinto Tapas Bar

So… I was clearly unimpressed by Tinto but to be fair I haven’t yet tried any of their food! Allow me to explain…
We called a little earlier in the day to book a table for Saturday evening and arrived at 7.30. Right away there was a bit of a weird vibe inside — some of the tables are awkwardly close together and while that’s ok for a cantina style place this place looked to be aiming for a more coupley/​family vibe. A woman with a voice like a foghorn was sitting beside me– mere centimetres away– and kept giving me the side eye for no apparent reason!
After taking our drinks order — we just asked for some water– the timorous waitress said she’d bring us a jug. Only for a waiter to appear with two tiny glasses and no jug in sight!
The minutes rolled by as we had already make our selection quite rapidly from the suspicious wipe-​clean laminated menus (clearly customers can’t be trusted to keep them clean) which really had far too many dishes to make sense of. It actually felt like the waiting staff were fearful of customers– they seemed like they were actively avoiding ourselves and other diners!
After nearly 30 minutes in the wilderness of this quite small restaurant my dining partner and I decided to leave before some tumbleweed literally blew across the floor. Apparently putting on our coats still wasn’t a clear enough signal of our dissatisfaction as no one approached us as we left.
How very bizarre! I’ve given two stars as there was a clear attempt to create some imagining of an «authentic» Spanish décor and I can’t comment on the food at all. I won’t be back.

I’m lucky enough to live near tinto, and when laziness beckons I love to get a takeaway! Fresh, tasty food with generous portions made to order. Friendly staff, and 5min walk from kelvinhall underground. Great wee place.

Loved our tapas tonight! Everything was absolutely delicious, and service was exceptional — the best thing about the place which is meant as a compliment because I loved the décor, music and everything.
My evening here made my Sunday, and helped me turn my frown upside down! :)
Think I’ll come back on Tuesday for the 2 50 tapas-​though apparently it’s good to book first.
This is a real gem that’s only slightly hidden away, but so cozy inside!
If you read this people of tinto tapas bar, muchas gracias for an amazing evening.

It was a Sunday, the 3 for £9.50 offer was calling. I’d heard a number of mixed reviews of this place, but decided it was worth a gamble.
The décor is weird, I’ve no idea what Spanish style books they’d consulted, but it was nothing like anywhere I’d ever seen in Spain. There are some nice individual touches, the belts holding the cushions, the pink adobo walls, but there doesn’t seem to be a cohesive theme.
When I arrived it was just a little before 7 on a sunny evening, but tellingly there was only one person in the restaurant. The staff at first seemed disinterested, but seemed to perk up after a while.
After ordering a glass of the house white, which was good, I looked over the menu and saw a lot of familiar dishes. I was a little bothered by the inclusion of houmous on the menu, it’s not Spanish, not Moorish, not needed.
Anyway I went for 2 of my Spanish favourites, goat’s cheese, aubergine fritters & rolled the dice on the third choice of pan Catalan. The cheese was served on top of caramelised onions & was garnished with (a lot of) rocket. The cheese was soft, both in texture and taste, just the way it should be, but the onions were really tangy (sauce?) & the taste was strong, especially when served with the rocket. The aubergine fritters were crunchy & a bit overcooked. They weren’t served dressed with honey, instead I got a comically large pot of honey set on the table to spoon it on myself. I honestly felt a little like Winnie the Pooh & was tempted to just stick my whole hand in. The pan Catalan was really just two slices of cut french loaf with tomato paste & little garlic chunks.
I’d give the experience two, two and a half stars, but I enjoyed the wine, the staff warmed up by the end and I have to give the place the benefit of the doubt /​food snob bonus points. I think I’d be happy to sit in with a glass of wine or a bottle (or ten) of Cruzcampo (yaaaas!) if not go back for the food. One of the benefits of it being quiet is that you could go in for a glass of wine & a chat (or read) without it getting too loud.

I’ve eaten at Tinto West End a few times now, and I’ve always been impressed with the cuisine! The décor is pleasant, there are always some great deals to be had (go on a Tuesday and all tapas exc. paellas are only £2.50 each — bargain!) and the food always tastes excellent. Particular culinary highlights include the fresh Calamares (deep-​fried squid rings) served with aioli, beef strips marinaded in chillis and garlic and pretty much anything involving chorizo. I do not know what it is, but their chorizo is excellent!
My only issue preventing this from the hallowed heights of 5 stars is that sometimes I feel the service can feel lacklustre. Last night when I visited, our food took over half an hour, with no explanations or apologies. On a previous occasion, the waiter informed us that the bread we had ordered had run out, so did we want an alternative? We said that would be fine and the waiter apologised. However we saw the waiter sneak over to the nearby Tesco to buy bread… Which was then passed off as fresh! Erm…
Other than the odd serving faux-​pas, I would recommend Tinto; the glorious food really does redeem everything! And it also has all the best Spanish beers in stock, yum!