Le Tire Bouchón

Le Tire-Bouchon (French for corkscrew) specialises in Andalusian dishes with a bit of a French bistro twist. Opened not quite two years ago, it’s the project of owner and chef José Molina, who wanted to do something traditional but also a little different.

The bar is quite spacious and high-ceilinged, with about a dozen tables inside, a small bar area, and some extra tables on the sidewalk terrace. We tried two types of the “chef’s choice” croquetas: caña de lomo and beef chop, both excellent. The char-grilled abanico (pork) and fried potatoes were very good too, but the housemade “red mojo” sauce that came with it really just tasted like ketchup. And while the squid ink and seaweed bread (from the fabulous Masa Bambini bakery) sounded intriguing, I found it too dense and chewy for the delicately fried small squid on the bocadillo de calamares.

Star dish for us was the tuna mechado in a crispy papadam – would definitely go back for that one. Unfortunately we ran out of space for the chef’s favourite dish – a whole char-grilled squid – so will have to try that next time. Service is very friendly and efficient, and the overall experience was a pleasant one.

Bread/Service Charge: 1€ PER PERSON