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Square Meal Review of Salt Yard ?

The original of a triumvirate of Iberian/Italian small-plate eateries that also includes Dehesa & the Opera Tavern, Salt Yard is reckoned to be ‘as good as eating in San Sebastian, though a little more expensive’. The jam-packed, gregarious ground floor certainly has a Spanish vibe, while the cosy downstairs dining room offers something more comfortable. Platters of charcuterie & cheese do the rounds, but Salt Yard’s reputation rests on its signature honey-drizzled courgette flowers stuffed with goats’ cheese, as well as ‘really special’ plates of sweet roasted scallops with chickpea purée & strips of crisp serrano ham, cuttlefish with broad beans & pomegranate, or rustic faro (hulled wheat) with braised Swiss chard & manchego, topped with a runny poached egg. There are also ‘seriously yummy’ tortillas, plus top puds such as warm churros with bittersweet Valrhona chocolate sauce.
WINE LIST: A good selection of Spanish & Italian wines. The wide range of styles, an extensive collection of finer wines & a good choice of sherries should make for an entertaining evening (or afternoon). Very affordable, too, with many bins below £40. BEST BUY WHITE 2009 Terras Gauda, O Rosal, Albariño, Galicia, Spain, £37. BEST BUY RED 2010 Selva Capuzza, Groppello, Lake Garda, Italy, £27.

Wine List: Salt Yard’s list may be one of the smallest we review, but that is because it is one of the best. There are no fillers here rather a succinct collection from Italy and Spain that name checks the classic while also introducing the unusual. As ever, trade up and you can enjoy iconic wines (like Vega Sicilia) at retail prices, while this year, the choice of producer is better than ever, highlighting the rising stars. Best Buy White 2008 Inama, ‘Foscarino’, Soave, Veneto, Italy, £40. Best Buy Red 2008 Weingut Niklas, Lagrein, Alto Adige, Italy, £28.

Overall Diner Rating

7.3
Food & Drink
7.8
Service
7.1
Atmosphere
6.9
Value
6.8

Based on 16 ratings. Rate it!

Customer Reviews

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  1. Mamma Niamh
    Silver Reviewer

    Mamma Niamh ( 30s, Female, London )

    29 November 2011

    The best tortilla I've eaten in London.
    You could easily spend, spend, spend here
    but if you order carefully you can eat really well
    without giving the bank manager a heart attack
    The wine list looked amazing but we had cava cocktails to start
    and then enjoyed some spanish beer.
    pimientos de padron, courgette flowers, cod cheeks,
    jerusalem artichoke puree with porcini mushrooms was so flavoursome I almost had a vegetarian conversion moment – ALMOST!

    • Overall: 8
    • Food & Drink: 8
    • Service: 8
    • Atmosphere: 8
    • Value: 7
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  2. Kelly R.

    Kelly R. ( 30s, Female )

    25 September 2011

    I always go to Salt yard when my best friend is in town. It is our treat. we get sat in a corner, order many many plates, lots of bubbles and eat till we want to pop. Signature dishes for me is the pork belly, courgette flowers, croquets, wow I could go on and on… finish with some pedro Ximenez and churros…yummy!
    It is always good, service is attentive but not intrusive. I love it and will be back. price wise, for my pocket it is a treat, so I will be seeing them on my birthday!

    • Overall: 9
    • Food & Drink: 9
    • Service: 9
    • Atmosphere: 9
    • Value: 7
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  3. Carolina the Diner

    Carolina the Diner ( 30s, Female, United Kingdom )

    24 April 2011

    At Salt Yard, the tapas dishes were brought out one at a time so we could appreciate the flavour of each plate individually while it was still hot. The downside of this, however, was that, due to the slightly slow service, there were some longer than necessary gaps between some dishes – although the wait was generally worth it.
    Salt Yard is best known for its courgette flower stuffed with goat's cheese and drizzled with honey – trying this innovative dish at Taste of London was what prompted me to a night out at Salt Yard restaurant. The only disappointment on this occasion was that one of our two flowers was missing its goat's cheese stuffing, which is sloppy at these prices.
    The roasted scallops with chickpea puree and crispy serrano was stunning in flavour and texture, but, like all quality scallops dishes, too small.
    The butternut squash gnocchi with sultanas, pinenuts, brown butter and sage added a Spanish twist to the standard Italian sage and butter pasta sauce. It was bursting with flavour and I'll be trying this one at home as they published the recipe online.
    The tender ox cheek, served with a polenta with a texture half way between porridge and risotto, was another homely buttery hug of a dish.
    Overall the food was excellent and each dish was carefully created and beautifully served.

    • Overall: 8
    • Food & Drink: 8
    • Service: 7
    • Atmosphere: 7
    • Value: 7
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  4. Michael A.

    Michael A. ( Over 60, Male, United Kingdom )

    September 2010

    Could not disagree more with previous review.Pretty much as good as eating in San Seb tho a little more expensive,inclined to stick with the fish,love the salmon tartare with quails egg and the padron peppers.Prefer to sit at bar as tables a bit too close together,Bar/wine lady fun,they should have a Txakoli by the glass,otherwise one of my favourite places.

    • Overall: 9
    • Food & Drink: 10
    • Service: 8
    • Atmosphere: 8
    • Value: 9
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful. Was it helpful to you?
     
  5. Matthew H.
    Reviews: 1

    Matthew H. ( 30s, Male, United Kingdom )

    May 2010

    Quite simply this is not a very good restaurant!

    The food is very, very expensive for the quality on offer – the charcuterie in particular is, in my opinion, absolutely rubbish.

    The service offhand, the basement is dingy and small. The wine list is bland in the lower regions and overpriced in the upper echelons.

    I left incredibly disappointed having gone there with high hopes.

    • Overall: 1
    • Food & Drink: 2
    • Service: 1
    • Atmosphere: 2
    • Value: 1
    1 of 2 people found this review helpful. Was it helpful to you?
     
  6. Craig P.
    Reviews: 1

    Craig P. ( 40s, Male )

    September 2009

    Lots of dishes to choose from and the same for the wine list which was good. Serving staff ok…we were not rushed at all. The food tasted great but there was just not enough on the plates when they arrived. Felt a little ripped off as the portion sizes were pitifully small and at least £7 – £8 per plate this left a slightly nasty taste in all our mouths. We wouldn't go back. If you want delicious tapas and lots more on your plate then try Iberica at Regents Park, much better value and equally delicious.

    • Overall: 5
    • Food & Drink: 8
    • Service: 7
    • Atmosphere: 6
    • Value: 3
    2 of 2 people found this review helpful. Was it helpful to you?
     
  7. Michael C.

    Michael C. ( 30s, Male )

    April 2009

    A rival to Finos, Salt Yard on Godge Street has all the food quality at a slightly lower price. I very much enjoyed the restaurant setting downstairs, and each dish was presented perfectly with emphasis on quality. My first expereince of courgette flowers with honey and I'm a definite convert. Staff attentive and friendly, making it well-worth another visit. An extensive wine list is available, and that which we tried was superb. Highly recommended.

    • Overall: 9
    • Food & Drink: 10
    • Service: 9
    • Atmosphere: 9
    • Value: 9
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful. Was it helpful to you?
     
  8. Bowen

    Bowen ( 20s, Female, London )

    January 2009

    Last minute dash to find a restaurant on a Friday night and we stumbled across this delightful little Tapas place; healthy portion sizes at a reasonale price, decent selection – there is one dish in particular that I would go back for, sausage in this fabulous sauce. Staff were a little non responsive and careless with the dishes and the venue itself is rather cramped but the food certainly went a long way in making up for it!

    • Overall: 7
    • Food & Drink: 7
    • Service: 6
    • Atmosphere: 6
    • Value: 6
    0 of 1 people found this review helpful. Was it helpful to you?
     
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Essential Details for Salt Yard

Salt Yard is included in the following Square Meal Selections

Location of Salt Yard

Customer Reviews

Been to this restaurant? Write a comment

Write Your Review
  • 1Win fab prizes with free monthly prize draws!
  • 2See your views in print.
  • 3Collect your thoughts in one place.
  • 4Be rewarded with an Editor's Pick.
  • 5Rate restaurants and share your views.

Showing 5 of 8 Reviews

View all Salt Yard reviews

  1. Mamma Niamh
    Silver Reviewer

    Mamma Niamh ( 30s, Female, London )

    29 November 2011

    The best tortilla I've eaten in London.
    You could easily spend, spend, spend here
    but if you order carefully you can eat really well
    without giving the bank manager a heart attack
    The wine list looked amazing but we had cava cocktails to start
    and then enjoyed some spanish beer.
    pimientos de padron, courgette flowers, cod… More

    • Overall: 8
    • Food & Drink: 8
    • Service: 8
    • Atmosphere: 8
    • Value: 7
    Was it helpful to you?
     
  2. Kelly R.

    Kelly R. ( 30s, Female )

    25 September 2011

    I always go to Salt yard when my best friend is in town. It is our treat. we get sat in a corner, order many many plates, lots of bubbles and eat till we want to pop. Signature dishes for me is the pork belly, courgette flowers, croquets, wow I could go on and on… finish with some pedro Ximenez and churros…yummy!
    It is… More

    • Overall: 9
    • Food & Drink: 9
    • Service: 9
    • Atmosphere: 9
    • Value: 7
    Was it helpful to you?
     
  3. Carolina the Diner

    Carolina the Diner ( 30s, Female, United Kingdom )

    24 April 2011

    At Salt Yard, the tapas dishes were brought out one at a time so we could appreciate the flavour of each plate individually while it was still hot. The downside of this, however, was that, due to the slightly slow service, there were some longer than necessary gaps between some dishes – although the wait was generally worth… More

    • Overall: 8
    • Food & Drink: 8
    • Service: 7
    • Atmosphere: 7
    • Value: 7
    Was it helpful to you?
     
  4. Michael A.

    Michael A. ( Over 60, Male, United Kingdom )

    September 2010

    Could not disagree more with previous review.Pretty much as good as eating in San Seb tho a little more expensive,inclined to stick with the fish,love the salmon tartare with quails egg and the padron peppers.Prefer to sit at bar as tables a bit too close together,Bar/wine lady fun,they should have a Txakoli by the glass… More

    • Overall: 9
    • Food & Drink: 10
    • Service: 8
    • Atmosphere: 8
    • Value: 9
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful. Was it helpful to you?
     
  5. Matthew H.
    Reviews: 1

    Matthew H. ( 30s, Male, United Kingdom )

    May 2010

    Quite simply this is not a very good restaurant!

    The food is very, very expensive for the quality on offer – the charcuterie in particular is, in my opinion, absolutely rubbish.

    The service offhand, the basement is dingy and small. The wine list is bland in the lower regions and overpriced in the upper echelons.

    I left… More

    • Overall: 1
    • Food & Drink: 2
    • Service: 1
    • Atmosphere: 2
    • Value: 1
    1 of 2 people found this review helpful. Was it helpful to you?
     
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