Did Victor Garvey’s new Covent Garden restaurant, Encant (formerly called Duende), leave us on tapa the world?
Encant was known as Duende when this article was first published, in March 2016
We’re big fans of Bravas Tapas at St Katharine Docks, so we were delighted to hear that co-founder Victor Garvey was launching his own venue on Covent Garden’s foodie hotspot of Maiden Lane.
In Spanish duende means ‘sprite’ or ‘mischief’ and you’ll notice a cheeky little imp on the menu. But that’s where the naughtiness ends, as the food here is seriously good. The tiny room emits a welcoming glow with its copper-topped bar and filament bulbs dangling from a dark ceiling criss-crossed with black ribbons. It’s a suitably dramatic backdrop for a procession of exquisitely crafted modern tapas dishes, each as show-stopping as the next. Even the olives arrive in a tiny egg box for that touch of theatre.
We began with artistically arrayed slivers of semi-cured beef fillet, the soft meat contrasting with zesty pickled eryngii mushrooms, crunchy roast hazelnuts and a flourish of truffle. Fried oysters with Amontillado sherry arrive in their shell, dotted with caviar and toasted almond flakes (above); crispy tiger prawns are wrapped in flaky kataifi pastry. Other unusual ingredients such as tamari (a gluten-free soybean sauce) also reflect the kitchen’s mastery of flavours. Our standout dish was bite-size salmon rulada rolls, filled with red-onion escabeche and punchy wasabi alioli. Only the heavily salted pancetta wrapped around tiny foie gras-stuffed quails’ legs (below) sounded an off-key note, but frankly we’re being picky now.
An all-Spanish wine selection is packed with quirky bottles, and there are plans to add new choices weekly. Five reds, four whites and cava are available by the glass; the gin tonicas include Sipsmith and Monkey 47. Cocktails, especially the elegant White Negroni, are also worth a sip.
Our only quibble is with the small, elbow-knocking space – which means tables will be hard to book. Maybe Garvey’s next venture could be El Gigante?
Read more about Encant here or discover the bars and restaurants opening next in London.
This article was modified 20 December 2016