Pradera Tapas Bar Restaurant

The authentic Spanish setting in Pradera Tapas Bar lend additional authenticity to the already vibrant tapas experience. It lacks some of the pomp and pretentiousness that some tapas bars have become associated with. With plenty of both vegetarian and meat tapas selections everyone can be happy here.

We went there on a Sunday night and the atmosphere was lovely. Ordered a bottle of 2001 Tempranillo @ 20.50. Bargain.
the waitress was very pleasant and they actually came twice to offer us a drink, mistake that is actually a good mistake ;-)
Got our tapas which were really delicious! Then we had the crema catalana but i was a bit disappointed as the caramel on top was rather thick and wouldnt really break as it should have. Next time we come (and we soon will) be trying a different dessert

Tapas apparently originated as small plates of food designed to be eaten with a drink — a system put in place by one of the Spanish Kings to stop his subjects from getting too trashed when they were out of an evening/​morning/​afternoon.
These days in the UK we tend to eat a wide selection of tapas as dinner, rather than as a bar snack. Whilst this is not quite the original idea, for those of us who are fully-​paid-​up members of the «variety pack fan club» the opportunity to enjoy a selection of small dishes is a treat.
Pradera then. I have walked past this Andalusian restaurant many times. It has a funky mosaic thing on the outside, and frequently advertises salsa nights and flamenco dancing. Neither was happening when the date and I turned up, but there were a couple of very friendly waitresses who seated us and looked after us well all evening. The interior is tastefully kitted out in classic tapas bar style, with some nice painted plates on the wall, and various bits of hispanic restuar-​art.
The food was really good. We had some of the classic tapas dishes (chorizo al vino & patatas bravas — spicy sausage cooked in wine and fried potatoes with a tangy salsa), but also spotted — and tried — several less usual things, including a delicious lamb stew with dried lime — featuring tender meat, chunks of potato, chickpeas and an unctuous citrussy gravy. The middle-​eastern origins of the dish were obvious — hardly surprising given Andalusia’s proximity to Morocco. We also had the Catalan favourite — pan con tomate — toasted garlic ciabatta with olive oil, sparsely spread with the innards of fresh tomatoes. Delicious.
We also had baby squid in olive oil and garlic which was a little disappointing (mostly because I ordered the wrong thing by mistake — wanting the one in a chilli sauce). It was just a little bouncy — baby squid can be really tender and this wasn’t quite up there. However, it was fine once it had been dunked in the sauce from the other dishes. The Spanish cheese plate was good, but there was no membrillo (the lovely quince jelly stuff that is sometimes served with Manchego) which was a bit of a shame as far as I was concerned.
For those of us on a budget (hell, aren’t we all at the moment?) Pradera will not shake too much of the dust off your wallet. Prices are very reasonable, and the restaurant has a number of ongoing offers including, presently, 6 dishes for £24. Their wine selection is good and inexpensive. House red scrapes in at a little over a tenner, and the house rioja (Otonal) under 14.
We rounded things off with some very good coffee, and were provided with complimentary turron and a shot of hazelnut liqueur. Thoroughly rounded off ourselves, we staggered off into the night.
A very pleasant evening at a very pleasant local tapas restaurant.