I've had similar experiences every time I've been here. Great, great food and friendly, solicitous but patchy, forgetful and rushed service. Coming in for a solo bite on a Monday made me realise where I had been going wrong. The service this time was persistently excellent, possibly improved by the bartop positioning.
Tapas on your own feels intrinsically decadent; stuffing yourself on something intended for sharing can't be great karma, even if solo dining is one of life's pleasures. Roaming through the menu with no one to please but myself however was a treat that made up for it.
Before not sharing a large portion of fresh homemade tortilla I decided to not split a portion of Cornish bass ceviche, partly to test the Spanglish against the Peruvian kick of last week's ceviche at um, Ceviche, and mainly because I get a thrill from being in a 'proper' restaurant where things are served with basil sorbet. You can take the boy out of the provinces... Obviously a different style to last week's marinaded raw fish adventures here it was served with shaved asparagus and sea purslane, the latter overwhelmed by the enormous scoop of sorbet which dominated like a drama student at a house party.
The Iberico pork and foie gras slider that I couldn't have shared if I'd wanted to finished my meditative meal off perfectly (and porkily). Letting the juices drip onto the last of my tortilla, I realised why solo dining is sometimes best kept that way. There are some things you don't want anyone else to see.
It isn't the cheapest pre-theatre bite in the area, my three plates came to £20 without drinks and service, and I'm still to be convinced at how they handle busy service, but I can't help but like the Opera Tavern. A grown up, classy tapas experience that's settled in as a fixture in a testing neighbourhood.
Before not sharing a large portion of fresh homemade tortilla I decided to not split a portion of Cornish bass ceviche, partly to test the Spanglish against the Peruvian kick of last week's ceviche at um, Ceviche, and mainly because I get a thrill from being in a 'proper' restaurant where things are served with basil sorbet. You can take the boy out of the provinces... Obviously a different style to last week's marinaded raw fish adventures here it was served with shaved asparagus and sea purslane, the latter overwhelmed by the enormous scoop of sorbet which dominated like a drama student at a house party.
The Iberico pork and foie gras slider that I couldn't have shared if I'd wanted to finished my meditative meal off perfectly (and porkily). Letting the juices drip onto the last of my tortilla, I realised why solo dining is sometimes best kept that way. There are some things you don't want anyone else to see.
It isn't the cheapest pre-theatre bite in the area, my three plates came to £20 without drinks and service, and I'm still to be convinced at how they handle busy service, but I can't help but like the Opera Tavern. A grown up, classy tapas experience that's settled in as a fixture in a testing neighbourhood.
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