Salvador & Amanda

After a few pints at a pub, the husband, his friends and I headed here for some Tapas.
El Diablo Sangria, Arroz Negro with prawns and squid, croquetas, gambas and jamon charcuterie. Lovely — all of it.
Good ambiance… it’s dark but charming. Couldn’t get good photos though (I hate using flash!). But who cares? We had a good time.
Next time would like to go when they have some live music and dancing.

We found this place, and it was amazing! The music is good and the staff are friendly. We did not eat, just had a few drinks but it’s open late and has a great atmosphere.

A friend and I jumped into this bar and tapas place for a drink or three. At first, we felt that the service was extremely slow. We weren’t sure if we had to order at the bar or if there was table service. There was roughly 6 servers on the floor and each of them seemed busy.
We decided to order drinks at the bar — which took forever. The service was not great but they made up for it when the maitre D gave us another round of happy hour drinks after happy hour was finished.
On a lighter note. I rather enjoy the dramatic curtains and décor of the place. Very lush and romantic. They have live traditional music and dance in the evenings. Unsure if this is worth a second visit, but still pretty good in my books.

I love the atmosphere here! Mix between Spanish, Swiss chalet and British? Totally odd, but it works! Music is fun and they have dancers certain nights of the week. The food is good… not amazing, but good for the price. The drinks are great! Their house red sangria is phenomenal! Get a pitcher! Our server was great. Unfortunately, they messed up our booking and weren’t very nice about it. trying to say it was our mistake. And 2 groups came in behind us and they messed theirs up as well. Nice it was sorted (had to change tables) it was fine. I’d definitely go back… great place for a group of people for light food and drinks!

Solid. Three different kinds of sangria (all pretty sweet/​syrupy). I guess it’s hard to be in the middle of tourist central and not become a tourist trap: this place had that kind of vibe. There was nothing amazing or memorable but still good to know of the option.

S&A is very cool space, well-​decorated with interesting elements in a subterranean space of Covent Garden. Mosaicas on the walls of Spanish inspired geometric figures and winding vines encircling the gazebo in the center of the room really create a ethnic feel. I liked the fairy lights dangling from the roof of the ‘chalet’ which is a log cabin and the ‘carousel’ booth area as well. Impeccable decorations with large red columns, old-​style framed pictures, vintage mirrors fixed upon a rough exposed brick gives it a rustic feel of sipping sangria in Spain.
We had a great deal here for two which was something like 45 quid for a 4 course tapas tasting menu to share with a glass of bubbly along with a flamenco show which is normally 45 each! The staff was polite and quick and the extra jug of sangria was nice but rather weak. The food was just okay, and I figured out why fairly quickly. It appears that on a certain day of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday) they have this deal, which means the place gets packed and the food is a set menu for everyone, meaning quality bows to quantity.
The menu was quite seafood/​fish heavy which I am not used to with tapas. All the classics were there: ie patatas bravas, ham croquettes, chorizo, salmon with pea purée, tuna filled pies, and Andulasian crispy calamari, manchego for with choice of dessert etc. However, the first sharing course was just bread with olives which always puts me off as being an actual course. Also, the flamenco show was a bit disappointing. The woman who did the entertaining was clearly very technically good but the ‘stage’ area was a tiny platform and she was not very artful or impressive in terms of showmanship. It just wasn’t the young, spicy, enthralling dancing we were expecting.
That being said, happy hour here is killer. Monday-​Friday 5 – 7
–2 cocktails for 10 quid
–4 bottles of beer for 10 quid
–bottle of house red/​white for 11 quid
–litre of white/​red sangria for 11 quid
Would definitely come here for a chat with friends a couple bottles between us in a superb atmosphere but wouldn’t replay the food situation.

I came here on a recommendation, and as I hadn’t heard of it I was a little dubious.
When I arrived I was very pleasantly surprised! It has a dark and smokey atmosphere inside with lots of cool lighting. We arrived at 7pm which meant we had an hour to make the most of the happy hour (£10 for a bottle of rose, YES PLEASE)
There is a great selection on the menu — we got 7 dishes between us which was more than enough. Everything I ate was excellent, especially the cod balls.
Worth noting: I am writing this review based on 50% off food with a Taste Card, I suppose I may not have been quite as enthused if it was full price! But overall a very good experience and I will definitely return.

I love this place and stumbled into it after a show in the west end and loved it. I would totally go back! They have dancing, great food and bevies and the ambiance is unusual and fun. its one of those places that ststts as a restaurant and sort of converts to a nightclub as the evening continues :) Will plan to go back the next time I am in London.

Went here tonight with 2 friends, using a discount card to get 50% off food. Good food; not outstanding but perfect fine. Good portion sizes and well priced even before the discount. A massive hug of sangria was only £11 too which was a nice surprise! Given it’s in a basement, it’s not the best in this sunny weather but the surroundings are nice although the flamenco dancers that came on we’re SO LOUD! Would definitely come back on a deal and better if its raining outside — it’s lovely and dark and cosy so great for winter!

It was the first sunny Saturday eve of the year this weekend — so naturally we had a pre-​dinner drink in the darkest basement bar in central London. Once my eyes had adjusted to the gloom — which took a good while after the brightness outside — I saw that several others had done the same thing, with most of the tables in the bar area either full of eaters/​drinkers or with a reserved sign.
The place itself reminded me of something out of the medieval zone on the Crystal Maze with rough stone walls, flickering candles and red drapes. There was a distinctly fishy smell when we first walked up to the bar, so we walked around to the far side and pulled up a few stools. We were served immediately as it wasn’t busy.
It was great to see they haven’t lost their heads when it comes to prices and the drinks were reasonable for the central location. We went for a litre of their traditional sangria which gave the 4 of us about 2 glasses each over ice. It tasted pretty authentic too, and not like some sugary syrup they’d just diluted.
Not sure I’d stick around to eat in such a brooding setting but a fine choice for a quick drinks stop before stepping back blinking into the light.

Had a great night at Salvador & Amanda, great music, reasonably-​priced drinks (especially for the central location) and they keep serving food til late! That last part is a real win in my book, as I tend to be a massive grazer while drinking, and I’d much prefer to buy some small plates at the bar than have to sneak out for a cheeseburger.
We went as a group and booked an area for 15. I had to put down a £50 deposit as it was a Saturday night, but that was ok. I didn’t like having to put my card behind the bar in order to get the £50 back though, that is way too dangerous on a big night out! But I managed to get it back just as it ticked over to the £50 mark so all’s well that ends well I suppose.

Having heard a few friends talking about this little gem, I went with a couple of girls friends for a catch up and to make the most of it being a 50% off restaurant on Tastecard.
We had an early table booked for 17:30 because 18:00 onwards was booked up!
It’s located very close to Leicester Square tube which is hand — I can’t believe I’ve never spotted it before.
Our waiter was very helpful and told us that two — three dishes person is usually enough. He also recommended a delicious lamb dish to try.
We picked our favourite and ate whilst chatting away, also sipping at a bottle of house white wine which during happy hour was only £10!
All of the dishes were tasty, plentiful to share and nicely presented. I’d recommend the ham croquettes and the squid. Yum!
We finished off the meal by sharing a plate of Churros and chocolate sauce. I definitely couldn’t eat a whole plate on my own, but perhaps if you have a sweet tooth you’d love it!
All in all the meal of 7 sharing plates, 1 dessert and a bottle of wine came to £42 (including tastecard discount). What a bargain for delicious food and nice wine.
The place was heaving by the time we left a couple of hours later, so if you’re keen to try the place out, book in advance.

This is one of those places where I don’t really want to review it as I want to keep it secret so it doesn’t get even busier! But, what a fantastic hidden gem! My friend booked a table for three of us for dinner after work one day after she’d heard about it from some other friends. I’m so glad I know about this place now — it’s a short walk from Leicester Square tube station but I’d never noticed it before. We went in down some stairs into an underground restaurant with so much to look at. There’s even a bit of a log cabin in the middle with tables in!
We were half an hour late for our reservation but they were fine about it. I’d definitely recommend booking as most tables were reserved. We were seated at the back of the restaurant which was cosy as all the tables were full despite walking through an otherwise empty restaurant. It was plenty big enough for us and not too noisy.
It was happy hour from 5pm-​7pm and we were pleasantly surprised to see they had house wine for £11 per bottle during this time. We ordered the chardonnay and he told us the menu was wrong and it was actually just £10.bargain! I don’t normally drink chardonnay but it was one of the best wines I’ve had out in a while. Very drinkable with no acidity to it. I just regret not paying attention to the bottle to see what it was!
As this is a tapas place, we asked the waiter how many dishes would be about right for dinner. He suggested 2 – 3 each but that we could always order more after. We went for 6 between the three of us and it was about right. The waiter recommended the lamb dish to us as well as the calamari, then we also had some cheese and ham croquettes, chorizo with butter beans, patatas bravas and a goats cheese, beetroot and walnut salad. It was all delicious and cooked so well. I love meals where you get little bits of lots of things but with this meal you got a good amount of lots of things so even better!
We were pretty full by the end but couldn’t resist the churros with chocolate sauce so we had that to share. It was fairly big and I probably couldn’t have managed it to myself, although I would have given it a pretty good go!
We had booked with a taste card do the good was 50% off making it a real bargain. Really good quality, tasty food in a fantastic place with a great atmosphere and helpful staff and including the wine and service it came to less than £15 each with the taste card!
I’ll be back again soon for sure, maybe in a bigger group to get to try even more of the menu and maybe book a table in the cute wooden cabin!

Great place for a date — intimate atmosphere and great food. Some staff were a bit rude but otherwise it’s a good time.

Last night was my third time at this hidden gem, and it’s a world away from the tourist trap that is Leicester Square. It’s also a cut above the other Salvador and Amanda branch in Bloomsbury, which while perfectly adequate lacks the cosy atmosphere the Covent Garden one evokes so well.
Having a tastecard makes this place amazing value (6 of us ate and drank a few glasses of vino for just £14 each). Their Mon-​Friday happy hour includes:
— A bottle of wine for a tenner
— a jug of sangria for a tenner
— two cocktails for a tenner
The black rice with squid is some of the best I’ve had in London, the potatas bravas are more-​ish and I also especially love the chicken wings and ham croquettes.
The prawn dish had literally about 4 or 5 tiny prawns so that was slightly offputting, but all in all the dishes are worth every penny.
The flamenca nights are fun although the stamping of the dancer reverberates a bit too much for my liking when I tried to have a convo with my friend!
I’ll definitely return here again and again :)

Came for a drink and ended up dancing all night long!
Just around the corner from Leicester Square tube and next door to a comic book shop you’ll find a hidden underground restaurant and bar.
The drinks are reasonably priced, the clientele was fun and the music was fun. A little if the cheesy pop side of things, but fun.
If you’re looking for a fun girls night out in the middle of town, head here!

I’ve been here at least 4 times over the past few years with varying degrees of experience. I usually come here with Tastecard to enjoy 50% off my meal.
The first time I came with 3 friends and sat on the table bang in the middle of the restaurant, it was a nice alcove area for us only and we enjoyed the experience immensely. The tapas were great and service was pretty good too.
The second time I came during a footie match (world cup I believe!) where Spain was one of the teams. This was the best experience ever as you can tell all of the other clientele were supporting their home team and the restaurant had brought in 3 gigantic TV screens so its patrons can watch all the actions in its full glory.
The third time I came for a friend’s birthday party for a few drinks and experienced the «late-​night clubbing and drinking scene» of the restaurant. The bar queue was slow but the music was decent, although there was not that much dance floor space. This is a lively bar however and they have a late night licence of 3am and as they are right next to Leicester Square station it might be a good hangout for those late night drinkers.
I went again last year before going to a movie and the experience was disappointing. I had a group of about 10 people and the food was very slow to come, very small portions (compared to my portions from years before) and was just mediocre. The service could do with some improvement as well, such as letting us pay quickly please! (we were in a rush!). I would have given this place 4 stars from my first experience but this has now dropped down to 3 due to the latest experience.

It would be 5 stars as I love this place for its food, drinks, service, environment and atmosphere. But I think the chef has changed and so has the menu and therefore my favourites are no longer there.
I’ve been here with large groups, as a couple and with bookings.
Different style areas/​themes for your guests and you will enjoy.

So I went here on Saturday night for a friend’s birthday dinner and drinks. I was a little apprehensive after reading some of the other Unilocal reviews which made it sound expensive and a bit naff. Read on!!!
We had a table of 10 and I believe we had some kind of taster menu. First things first– the meal was bloody good value– we got a selection of tapas, meaty snacks and then a paella. No, it wasn’t the best tapas in the world, but if you wanted great spanish food, you’d go to a tiny little tapas spot somewhere in Soho (or barcelona).
We then had birthday cake which was brought by a friend. They put a whopping great big sparkler in the cake which pleased my immature self. Including wine and sangria, the meal cost 33 quid per person.
If you like old skool music, this place offers a lot– we were winding back to the early 2000s with Nelly, R Kelly. Great for a girls night out and I actually really enjoyed it.
Downsides: the cocktails were a bit shoddy, the bar drinks were a little expensive and it was blindingly hot (we were all sweating like maniacs all night). Get some aircon S&A, it’ll improve your club times 5!

A fun tapas bar in Central London that isn’t horrifically expensive for what it is.
We went early on a Saturday evening on a holiday weekend. 4 of us ordered a table-​full of tapas along with drinks. The boys had beers of various varieties. I had a fabulous cocktail («El Torido» or something like that) which was delicious and quite strong. The food was quite tasty. My favorite being the ham & cheese croquettes. Others in my group had things like chicken wings and mussels and chorizo and enjoyed them all. For dessert I had the fried banana — amazingly delicious.
The service was impeccable. One person kept checking on drinks. One took tapas orders and one delivered tapas. We were checked up on throughout the night to see if we wanted more food or drinks or anything at all. By the time we left it had gotten quite busy, but the service stayed constant.
Yes, it’s a bit pricey. But it’s Central London. That’s to be expected. I really had a great time for a nice easy-​going meal with friends!

Very delicious Tapas in a pleasent atmosphere! We enjoyed our evening!!!