Don Fernando Spanish Tapas

When given a choice, we usually choose everything. But when it comes to tapas, everything is always the correct answer.
We had:
— Padron peppers were charred w chunks of sea salt — just like in Barcelona
— Pulpo was ok. Not as fresh as in Barcelona and it was a bit too mushy for my taste. Pulpo is supposed to be left a bit rubbery.
— Anchovies were soaked in vinegar and delicious
— Chorizo in white wine was amazing! The fat mixed w wine flavor was perfect
— Manchega cheese came with a sweet jelly to enhance the nutty flavor of the cheese
— Fried artichoke with aioli sauce — this was ok
And of course, if you don’t wash it down with a pitcher of red sangria then who are you right now.
Service was warm and friendly. Overall, it was a solid place although I have found family owned tapas restaurants in London that I liked better, especially compared to what I’ve had in Spain. But it was still a great experience.

Went here for lunch and loved it. The tapas were very good and the service was friendly and quick. We will definitely eat there again while on this trip. (Tip: for two people 4 plates should be enough, 5 if you are big eaters.)

I was not impressed at all. Edible but nothing special and so many other good restaurants I the area.

Disgusting! Food and service was disgusting! This is the first review I have ever written.
Me and my friend went to Don Fernando Spanish Tapas for late Sunday lunch. Ordered drinks, I said that we are ready to order food as well all at one go, waiter didn’t say anything threw napkins in the middle of the table and went away.
Ordered food, when it arrived it was very badly presented, but it’s not a biggest problem, but after tasting it it tasted even worse than looked.
Chili garlic prawns — tiny prawns warmed in oil bath, not even hot, no chili, so I asked for some extra chilies because prawns didn’t taste of anything. After receiving the bill I was charged for chilies that we’re not even a little bit hot (some sweet variety in oil) almost £2!!!
We were sitting opposite opened kitchen so saw more than needed.
Waiter that served us walks around to the kitchen, cuts some meet and does the grilling. ??? Waiter or chef? After that he’s back to the floor and cuts some baguette for customers. And when he is passing by this bread station, he slices of the bread and continues his way munching! Then he sees something on the floor and the way of cleaning it is just to kick it away by foot!
Sherry and Manchego was good, why? Because they didn’t cook it!
Oil didn’t taste like olive oil, that was disappointing too.
It didn’t feel clean either…
Few times waiters came over to ask if everything is ok, well, I didn’t know what go say, because — no, nothing is good at all, there is nothing good about this eatery!
When the table was cleared, everything was spilled on the floor near out table, but the same famous waiter just stands in the middle of the puddle and mourns, all this experience in this place was unbelievable!
After this experience I was not able to eat anything that day, felt sick.
THIS IS CRIME IN THE KITCHEN!!!

The people who run this shop are efficient and attentive. There is plenty of space and the design of the restaurant reflects the Spanish vibe. I have to say the food is less than good. Every dish is covered in oil (this is coming from a fearless fried chicken eater) and it makes it difficult to enjoy the various items on the menu. I wish they revamped the menu– there is a fair variety.

I came here in a big group for a friend’s birthday and was taken aback by how large it was on the inside, as it looks tiny from the street!
Luckily I didn’t need to buy from the set menu — as for me personally that’s never good value, cos I usually eat small portions.
Anyways, so I ordered the special broad beans and the house potato dish. Both items were very tasty (though quite fatty) and the portions were decent enough to take home for breakfast!
I’m not usually a tapas fan (being veggie) but if someone was seeking it, I would happily send them here. It seems like a family business with a nice staff :)

I have been coming here for over 10 years on and off and I quite like the food here, I think a menu revamp should definitely take place here but other then that the place has a great location and for the money you can’t really complain.
Oh they now have an iPhone app for faster payment

went here for lunch one hot may afternoon. staff excellent and friendly. food was all extremely good, explaining the very many customers. monkfish was a delight. sauce with prawns was other worldly. only dish that fell short was calamari which were not crisp.

I actually quite like it. The garlic chicken is great and they have good Jamon Iberico.
But you’d never think it was good from the outside…

Always walk past this place after my commute from London. It always looks like it’s bustling! So I thought it might be worth a try. The perfect opportunity came up for a Sunday lunch with Molly K, so I thought why not?
Now I’m not going to pretend I know two bits about tapas, but I know good food when I taste it. It had something a little left to be desired. It was mediocre, at best. The waiters were nice enough, making a joke here and there, but were still pretty gruff. Maybe it’s because I’m American and used to servers badgering you every 5 mins, but it took ages for someone to check on us, and to get our bill.
All and all, yeah it was alright, but I think I’ll keep walking past when I get off the train.

I’m a big tapas fan, so when Michaelia K suggested Don Fernando for our Sunday lunch spot, I was really looking forward to trying a new place.
Even though the company was wonderful, the food left a bit to be desired. The phrase «phoned in» comes to mind. While the décor and serving dishes could be described as ‘authentic’, I wouldn’t say the food was completely up to snuff. We shared an avocado salad, some spicy shrimp, and chicken/​sausage skewers. OIL OIL OIL and crappy lettuce. I did enjoy the spicy shrimp, but next time I would make sure to order some bread to soak up the juices and give my tongue a rest.
It certainly has a nice convenient location (a hop and a skip from Richmond train station), but their offerings could use a bit of a boost.

This is a truly, authentically poor place. But Timinator is absolutely right when he says it divides local opinion sharply. Tewwibly nice chinless Wichmond types who hate food that tastes of anything love it — a bit like the awful Naked Turtle down the road in Sheen. Anyone who likes food despises, however, and holds it up as an example of wonderful cuisines watered down and dumbed down for middle class English taste. I think the owners are very clever — they know what plays well in these parts.

A traditional family owned Spanish restaurant within stumbling distance of Richmond station. The menu has something for everyone (not just Tapas) and the wine list is pretty good too. Definitely a place for a relaxed night out with some friends.

I once went on a double date here. By the time the rioja got to the table I realised that I fancied my friends date far more than mine. After that sinking realisation I soon perked up — not having to worry about making myself desirable for my date, I could concentrate on the food! So I set about ordering plenty.
It is an extensive menu, as well as three types of tapas; meat, fish and vegetarian, there are larger meals. I enjoyed all my food here, but I would hesitate to call it 100% authentic — they have nachos on the menu — aren’t they from Mexico?
My recommendation would be to order the tapas, rather than the main meals. The calamari is especially good, as are the rest of the fish dishes. I have subsequently had far better tapas elsewhere, but this place has a good atmosphere, friendly staff, and the food is relatively inexpensive, so there are plenty of reasons to visit.

Located seconds from the tube station in Richmond and the theatre, this Spanish tapas bar does a good job of serving typical Spanish food and wine with a good vibe and pleasant staff. Run by a Spanish family this place has been here for years and I would imagine, will continue to thrive as a place to drink wine and have a few nibble or for a full blown scoff.
I have eaten here many times and always enjoyed it and have also met up with friends just for a glass or two of rioja and a chat with maybe some chorizo and bread.
Maybe not the place to travel to from afar but good value and all a ok if you live in or near to Richmond.

Family-​owned tapas restaurant. They have a large menu, and meals I’ve had there have been okay. Can be quite busy and crowded, but with a good vibe. I like the décor and the coloured-​tile exterior.
Seems to generate a lot of extreme difference of opinion from people I know in the area.