From October 2011
Oh my God, I am in love! A couple of weeks ago I was walking down D’Arblay Street in Soho and noticed that Bar Chocolate and disappeared and in its place was a very cool looking tapas bar called Copita.
It looked lovely but unfortunately I’d just had a huge meal at Andrew Edmunds and I was stuffed, so my friend and I popped in for a drink and poured over the menu. It looked so delicious that I promised myself I would go back. So last Thursday I went along with my friend Maggie.
Like a lot of restaurants now, there is a no reservations policy, so Maggie got there early to get us a good spot. When I arrived at 6.30pm, the restaurant was nearly full but not overcrowded. There seems to be a trend at the moment with restaurants just having bars to sit around, or wooden counters where you perch on high stools. Copita is no exception. With white glazed tiles on the walls and low-wattage bulbs hanging low over the bar/eating area, the atmosphere is relaxed and chilled. As the evening progresses, and a few glasses of wine are consumed, the place feels more noisy and buzzy. Or was that just us?!
Copita’s menu is divine. Its not your regular day-to-day tapas of chorizo in red wine and patatas bravas. This menu is a little more inventive and exciting. The dishes range from £2.50 to £7.95 with the exception of Jamon de Bellota at £13.50 for 50g.
We started off with the beautiful aubergine marinated olives…
Then came the pea, fresh cheese and truffle oil croquets.
These look a bit scary when you cut into them but I promise you, they taste sensational! The gentle aroma of truffle wafts up as you slice through the golden, crispy shell. And the fresh taste of the peas mixes beautifully with the creamy cheese. We immediately ordered another portion.
Next was the ‘don agustin’ jamon de bellota.
These free-range, acorn-fed Iberian pigs produce the most incredible tasting ham. It was served in paper thin slices which practically melted on your tongue. Sweet, nutty, and just salty enough. Perfect!
Cime de rapa with mozzarella was divine…
Then came the home-made butifarra with piquillo and caperberries (no photo I’m afraid) which was beautiful. It was made from the pig’s head and sweetbreads and wrapped in fat. Now, everyone knows fat tastes damn good. And damn good this was!
Just as I was thinking that this was as nice as pork could taste, out came the Iberico pork ribs, grelot & date sauce – oh my god…these were incredible. The meat quite literally fell off the bone and the sauce was sweet, smoky and sticky…everything pork ribs should be.
I was slightly disappointed at the pudding list as it was rather limited and there was no chocolate in it. But that’s just a personal thing.
We opted for the baked fig with goats curd ice cream.
Warm, sweet fig with a hint of honey in the background, this was delicious. The goats curd ice cream was lovely but we weren’t quite convinced by the combination of the two.
I ordered the custard tart.
It was a custard tart. Not the best custard tart I’ve ever had, the pastry wasn’t as light and flaky as it could have been, but it was still lovely.
Overall this is a fantastic new find. I almost don’t want to rave about it because I don’t want everyone knowing about it. I want this to be my little secret. I don’t want to turn up one night and be told I can’t get in. However, I fear this will happen with or without my help.
The cooking is bold and adventurous and it tastes delicious. The menu changes regularly so there is always more to explore. For this reason, I will be going back time and time again.
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