I headline Pix as the most tempting tapas bar in London because of its genial concept of laying out seductively looking tapas on the bar right by the entrance. If you resist these, then a waiter carrying around trays of freshly prepared pieces to tempt your taste buds might persuade you to pick one or two. This option the founders of the Pix concept applied just in case you are lazy to walk from your seat to the bar for new pieces. Well, we ended up doing both as the food here was so good.
Fresh figs & goat cheese tapa
Visit: May 2012
Price: low for central London (£1.90 – less than £4 a piece); you basically pay for how much you eat which is fair.
Chorizo on manchego
Atmosphere: buzzing, energizing, young and fast. Sitting either along the walls, on high bar chairs or at a classical low table you will find what suits your dining style the most. The service is very friendly, knowledgable and quite fast. Although, the last point is not necessary at Pix since you serve the food yourself.
Pix Pintxos in Soho
Food: Fresh, creative and in many cases simple, but the choice of ingredients makes up for the simplicity. As was in the case of a tapa of fresh goat cheese with a juicy fig on a slice of baguette, it was so tasty that I had to get it twice. Another cheesy dish worth mentioning was a red pepper stuffed with goat cheese grilled in oven. A stick cutting through it is serving something like a receipt. Each table gets a glass into which you drop the sticks accompanying each course and as you decide to leave you just bring your glass to the bar and they count it for you. How witty!
Pepper with goat cheese & tuna sahimi with marinated peppers (below)
Japanese influence is tangible in many worlds cuisines today and Spanish is not an exception.
In a delicious tapa of tuna sashimi with pickled peppers on a slice of baguette one can see the two cuisines intertwine. This was my favourite dish right after the pepper filled with goat cheese.
Gazpacho
Refreshing you palate with a tomato gazpacho (chilled vegetable soup) served in a martini glass makes you feel like a James Bond, yet it is a healthier and non-alcoholic alternative to his favourite drink. A sizzle stick pinching a tiny mozzarella and basil is not just cute, but also a tasty finish of this dish.
Chicken skewer
From spicy chorizo (pork sausage) to chicken skewers, the meat is an important part of Spanish cuisine so it cannot be left out. The chorizo is served with a slice of manchego – hard and intensely tasting sheep cheese. This tapa is perfect with a glass of red Rioja or Ribera del Duero wines. The chicken is tender yet full of flavor from a marinade. Served with a fresh yoghurt and herb sauce, just dip in and enjoy with a glass of aromatic white Albariňo.
Pix drinks
Cuisine: Spanish tapas
Drinks: You at a tapas bar, so Sangria, the wine-based refreshing and slightly sweet drink with chopped pieces of fruits and ice, is the drink of a first choice. Sangria has one disadvantage or actually two. Firstly you get a quite bad hangover from as it drinks so easy and secondly it is not the best companion to food. It is too filling and fruity that it overpowers or clashes with most of food. I would leave that one at the wand instead of a dessert or to drink it on its own.
The wines-by-the-glass selection at Pix is more than satisfying. There are wines from all over Spain, made from different grapes and suiting any budget. It is important to have a wide choice of the wines-by-the-glass at a tapas bar as one can move to a different wine as he/she pleases and as the type of tapa requires.
Opening hours & contact: Mon-Thurs: 12:00-11:30pm; Fri-Sat: 12:00 noon-midnight; Sun: 12:00 noon-10:00pm; Tel: +(44)0207 437 0377
Address: 16 Bateman Street, Soho, London, W1D 3AH