Pinchito

I’ve now been here about 5 or 6 times and I’ve only lived in London for 7 weeks, so turns out that I really do love the place. Though I do live around the corner so I’ll pop in randomly and sit at the bar, which I actually prefer over having a table as the staff is extremely friendly and entertaining.
I’ve sampled a wide range of the menu but I usually end up with the fried brie (I believe it’s a special) and the chocolate con churros. I also really like the pimientos de padron, though I tend to coat them with a lot of the coarse salt they provide because I love torturing my taste buds.
The drinks are also fantastic. The bartenders really put a lot of time and love (yes, super cheesy, but I can’t think of another way to describe it, they seriously look like they’re seducing the drinks while they make them) into creating each drink. The fino sour is fantastic, you should probably try it.
Definitely not the cheapest spot but a lot of fun with a great staff and cozy interior (in a very Shoreditch sort of way). It actually feels like an authentic tapas bar in Spain — just with a lot more chairs. Gets crowded really quickly so make sure you book if you have your heart set on going later in the evening.

I love Tapas and was really excited to find one in my neighborhood. However, I wasn’t too impressed. I actually quite like the ambience: kind of deliberately hole-​in-​the-​wall place with recycled furniture and photos of street scenes of Barcelona. They serve quite traditional tapas and also offer daily specials that are written up on the wall. My friend and I ordered quite a few dishes. The Jamon Iberico was very delicious, so soft it would melt in your mouth. The special fried pork belly with mango sauce was definitely the highlight. Nicely cooked meat with crispy crackling. Yummy. The octopus with potato was worth trying as well. Other dishes like tortilla Espanola, croquetas and a roasted veggie dish were just ok.

Wow! Was pleasantly surprised by this tapas place tucked away behind Old Street. I have to admit, I went here with a friend simply because we were walking by and decided to go in. At first I was put off by the modern clean décor… I thought it would end up being a local tourist trap. Somehow it didn’t seem right for tapas. After my experience, I now say andale and get yer butt here.
We dropped in for a snack and some drinks, so ordered the standard Spanish omelette and some fried mushrooms (picture uploaded). Both were absolutely wonderful, particularly when washed down by a mojito. We perched at the seats by the window which are really good for evening people watching. The staff were very friendly, eager to suggest menu items but not pushy or weird.
It was an especially nice night we spent chatting away, there until closing… basically the staff cleaned around us until it was well and truly time to diga adiós.

I really like the atmosphere of Pinchito, and the food is really really fantastic. We booked a big table for a Saturday night, which is definitely recommended because it gets really busy. The all the sangrias we tried (and we tried a LOT of them) were super tasty, though not very strong. The food both on the specials board and the permanent menu was really varied and delicious, but the service on the whole was just not that good. I think it was a fluke since everyone else on Unilocal seems to have had a good time. It started out well and we got our food pretty quickly, but halfway through they started constantly forgetting that we had ordered things and therefore our food took ages to come out. In the end we were there for our 2 hour booking and hadn’t really eaten much between all of us, and were made to sit at the bar to finish our drinks since another booking was coming in, and had to give up on a couple things we had ordered a half hour before. The staff were very apologetic and lovely about it, but it’s still very disappointing and I hope it’s not a regular thing.

Highlights: bacon, date and hazelnut special.
Lowlights: chicken skewers were dry.

Cool ambiance and quite busy for a Wednesday evening when we dropped by. They have a bunch of specials they write both on the wall as well as on a tiny menu card in addition to their regular items. They have some of the usual tapas fare like croquettas but also some pretty interesting items.
We tried the asparagus and artichokes, warm roasted vegetable salad, croquettas, and their special duck and chicken dishes of the night. The duck was a bit chewy for my taste but the chicken was quite nice. Croquettas. delish! I wasn’t too excited about the vegetable salad.mushy. The asparagus and artichoke dish was refreshing.

Another stop on my tour of tapas restaurants in Brighton and London!
We popped in here late on Saturday night after seeing a performance at the Barbican just down the road. I had read good reviews about Pinchito and was a little concerned that we wouldn’t get a table. It was packed when we arrived but they managed to squeeze us in to a small table in the corner.
The atmosphere is buzzing here — its crowded, noisy and fun, reminiscent of tapas bars in Spain. The menu is varied and interesting, with the standard items plus and interesting specials board with some unusual dishes. We ordered a nice bottle of red, chorizo in cider, pimientos de Padron, pork belly with mango sauce, garlic prawns, croquettes, and bread with oil. Unfortunately, they had run out of eel and squid, two dishes that we would really have liked to try, but I guess this is the downside of arriving late on a Saturday.
I have to say that all the dishes were delicious, particularly the pork and chorizo. We finished off with churros with chocolate dipping sauce, one of my favourite treats when I visit Spain.
My boyfriend and the Italian (not Spanish) wait staff bonded over their Latino routes and we were given a free shot of tequila at the end of the meal. We also partook in a glass of fino and a tequila margarita to finish off — no wonder I was hungover the following morning!
My biggest issue with this place is that it is pretty expensive. The bill came close to £100 which I feel is pretty excessive for tapas. the service and atmosphere was great though so would definitely revisit for a special occasion.

Loved this place — the atmosphere, the food, the drink. What’s not to like?
It could have been a disaster as we booked for 2, then had to book for 7 and in the end, 9 folk turned up. As the place is really bijoux, they couldn’t put all 9 of us together it being a Saturday night and all. They were very sorry, and we were almost gutted as my husband and I were in danger of being sidelined to the table for 2 when we had travelled 100s of miles to come and see our daughter who was over from USA for a couple of days on business. Thankfully the 2 late comers to our group had actually eaten, so they kindly volunteered to go for a drink elsewhere, which allowed us to sit with our daughter and we had a rare opportunity to get to know her colleagues.
After this initial hiccup (hiccough?) we ordered 2 tapas each plus sangria and a Mojito, which can be pretty hit and miss, but this was a good one. By the end of the evening we must have had 4 – 5 tapas each, and several jugs of sangria. The atmosphere was relaxed and chatty. Tapas are such a relaxed way to eat that it was perfect for getting to know new people. There was a «buzz» about the place and yet it wasn’t too noisy for those of us with failing hearing :)
We had the table in the window. So in summary, I would say it is good for either a group, or a romantic twosome. Our service was great, so I think anyone leaving a poor review for service must have hit a bad day, or maybe had someone that was just starting a job there.
I would definitely go back again if in the Barbican area, and I would highly recommend it to all friends. The bill was big, but then so was our party, and we left feeling well fed and that it had been value for money. In all I would estimate we had 4 — 5 tapas each and lots of jugs of sangria. There was a larger wine bar type place on Chiswell Street that also does tapas a bit cheaper, but it wasn’t a patch on Pinchito for its cosy atmosphere. Yum, yum :)

Great for some bites if you’re in the area, but I’d book ahead. Whether or not they will honour your booking is another matter, but it’s better to try. I love tapas because you don’t have to commit. What if you hate your one dish — major bummer. Though the food here is a bit hit and miss, you’re bound to have some good bites. Plus the drinks are great, and fairly cheap for the good pours you get. I don’t eat much of the good Spanish food (semi veg over here) but order what sounds good and your stumble across some gems.

Need to agree with Becky here, appalling service that overshadowed the food and atmosphere.
We had the table from 7:30−9, but when your waitress forgets half of the things you ordered it doesn’t make for a fluid meal in an hour and 30.
There was just constant forgetfulness – the table conversation was where was the beer you ordered? Didn’t we ask for another order of peppers? When is the octopus going to come? I swore you ordered a bloody mary when you first walked in… didn’t you?
So then to be absolutely obnoxious about giving our table back at 9 when we had to reorder food is just ridiculous. I wasn’t the one checking the bill but we probably paid for everything twice.
OK, onto the food and atmosphere – food was good. «Cheap and Cheerful» tapas I would say. Enjoyed the salads and thought that patatas bravas and the tortilla were tasty.
The vibe is great too – we ended up on the sofas – casual and cool place.
Just get the darn service right please. Oh an my reservation somehow was under Pian instead of Caren. WTF?

This is a phenomenal tapas restaurant. Off the beaten path, purely a local joint. I’m super lucky that Mark S. brought me here.
The atmosphere of this place was awesome. It’s like a little slice of Catalonia in London.
The wine was great, the cocktails were fantastic and the food was delicious.
My only problem with Pinchito, and tapas restaurants in general, is that they never fill me up, unless you are interested in spending more than is reasonable. That isn’t a bad thing, but I just would not come to Pinchito with a rumbling tummy.
That being said, Pinchito is an amazing date restaurant. Come here and you wont regret it. Lots of different little dishes to share, romantic atmosphere, good wine. you pretty much can’t lose.

The recipe for a great tapas restaurant goes something like this. Take 1 set of chilled out Spanish staff, add good, recognizable tapas, keep it fresh, livelly and casual, and mix in with a great selection of drinks at the bar.
Pinchito has all of these things, is always full, but never crowded. I just had one of their specials: bacon wrapped dates and hazel nuts in a cream sauce. Amazing. Just the touch I needed to add pizzaz to classic patatas bravas, pulpo, etc.
This place truly has it down, the sauve staff, décor to a T and everyone there knows that they’re in for a treat, and will, 100% be coming back. One of two authentic tapas places I’ve found in London, highly recommended, just don’t take my table!

I’ve been here on several occasions now. I’ve sat for few casual meals with friends and brought visitors here as well. I’ve sat at the bar and kickstarted a night out. It will be a pleasure to be here in whatever capacity you choose.
Each dish is authentic Catalyan tapas and you can see them being prepared in the back if you sit at the bar. And now I have dreams of chorizo and bleu cheese patatas bravas…
Much love goes into every cocktail made by Jose the bartender. If you’re looking for something a bit different, give the White Sangria a go. You will not be disappointed. I do suggest getting a bottle of their great selections of wine as well.
It is purely a local venue with no tourists stumbling in on a rainy day. Take a date here — she will be impressed.

The food here is, no doubt, tasty, and good value for money. I liked that they had plenty of vegetarian options, which isn’t always the case with tapas. However, Pinchito nearly blew it last night in several big ways.
1. Walk in. GIve them our name for the reservation. No reservation in our name. Show them our text message confirming the reservation. They stare blankly at us. Give us a table, but say we have to be out of there by 9:30pm. Awesome. Thanks for punishing us for your mistake.
2. I think we had to ask 4 times for water. Really.
3. In general, the service here was appalling, even for London.
I don’t think I’ll go back. If they could sort out the service, they would have a good thing going on here. As it is though, it’s just not worth it.

Food was tasty and atmosphere was relaxed.
We tried about 10 different things on the menu, most of them were good. Definitely try some of their specials. Black sangria was also very yum! Make sure to end your meal with their churros.
The only downside to this place is their price. The small tapas add up pretty quick.

All I can say is Yum! about this place. Was lucky enough to go here with a group of 4 so we got to try loads of delicious stuff and everything deserved a devilish grin of belly satisfaction.
My favorites were the pork belly with mango; dates with bacon, hazelnut & cheese; chorizo; and deep fried squid. And finishing it off with churros n chocolate was perfection.
Their cocktails are also delicious… And they make great margaritas if you ask nicely. I can’t wait to get there on a Wednesday for Paella night!

Muy cerca de la estación de metro Old Street en Londres encontrarás este genial restaurante español Pinchito Tapas. Abierto desde el desayuno para poder disfrutar de los riquísimos churros con chocolate, el restaurante Pinchito Tapas es todo un tesoro de nuestro país en tierras británicas. Dispone de numerosos menús económicos para no tener que vaciar el bolsillo y de una completa selección de las mejores tapas españolas. Tortillas, Patatas Bravas, Pimientos Padrón, Gambas al ajillo y Albóndigas de la casa son solo un ejemplo de su fascinante y amplia carta. Con una decoración moderna y vanguardista más lo mejor de la cocina española, el restaurante Pinchito tapas ha conseguido un gran popularidad en el centro de Londres. Se recomienda reservar mesa y así evitar esperas innecesarias, seguro te gustará.

Tippy tippy toppy tappy tapas… he he he! Okay I just love that Tapas is actually a food type, what a cool word. When my mum make stuff like this when I was a kid we called it ‘picky bits’ (my mum does use interesting words!) as you could eat of each others plates and pick and not get told off for once.
I really really like this place and I have to say I was almost tempted to give it 5 stars. It’s proper tapas that has the perfect combination of sauces and meats served on lovely little square dishes that you can neatly consolidate into a pile after inhaling the foodie goodness. There is a big sofa area at the front, a great little bar area where you can grab a quick bite to eat and nice tables to sit at of you want a more leisurely meal. Basically the set up is fantastic and tourist free. Slightly the ‘wrong’ side of Old Street you avoid the twats which make the place all the more pleasant.
Food — superb! Really tasty and great if you can go with a friend and share the dishes. With bread you probably only need 2 dishes each… mmmm…dribble

I am always willing to try something different, and will not falter when stepping outside my comfort zone of food knowledge. For the first time ever I was caught out. There are many places in London that claim to do tapas, I have dined in many and always been happy. What I didn’t realise at the time was that I had been eating generic imitations of traditional tapas. Pinchito serves real deal tapas, that isn’t served to please the masses but to remain authentic. The food looked and tasted sensational, but my taste buds couldn’t handle the intense flavours and I didn’t fully appreciate my meal.
If you want REAL tapas come to Pinchito. The décor is sophisticated and the service is prompt. The knowledge of our server was also impressive. I will certainly be back.

Bravo Pinchito!
From your authentic «ain’t-your-tourist-tapas» menu to your urban/​industrial chic interior, you proved this afternoon that Spanish cuisine is alive and well on the quiet side of Old Street.
A bit off the beaten path, Pinchito will certainly be a destination tapas bar and suggestion spot for many months to come.
The only thing dripping more than the romance factor in this establishment was the olive oil — which is how any great relationship should be, in my humble opinion.

When our 16 strong group rocked up, we were ushered to a stool area where we were told that our birthday entourage couldn’t be accommodated. Birthday boy was a little upset, but they did provide complimentary paella to apologise.
Barcelona-​feel, exposed brick work and open kitchen couldn’t disguise the fact that whilst the food was quite good, there are so many kick ass tapas bars in the areas I wouldn’t come back for a second visit. Highlights included the sangria, another sangria and the tomato salsa bread. Otherwise, if you see the neon sign and you’re hungry it’s well worth a visit, but when it comes to quality, this is definitely not in the premier league.