Finally – a restaurant in Soho that actually takes – wait for it – RESERVATIONS! Hurrah! I don’t care how good the food is, I categorically refuse to stand in the cold for 3 hours (I’m looking at you Hoppers).
Frith Street is the second location for LOBOS (the first being Borough Market). Just like the first, you’ll find a low-key Spanish neighbourhood feel to the place.
Vegetarians – look away now. This place is not for you. Meat-lovers however will have a bloody field day working their way through the selection of tapas dishes and larger meat cuts.
We kicked things off by ordering a few nibbles to start, tapas here are generous portions so you don’t leave feeling short changed, or hungry. The excellent tomato bread comes oozing with olive oil and garlic, we mopped up the innards of our duck, beef and chicken croquettes with it. Padron Peppers sated our appetite until the mains arrive.
While there are many meaty options on the menu, we are big fans of Spanish pork so opted for the Iberico pork selection so we could taste it all. A beautiful array of pork fillet, secreto and presa arrives sliced, cooked rare and ready to share. If you haven’t had pork served pink before, you need to try this. The great quality meat holds its own against any steak out there. It’s served with the most delicious potatoes, complete with an expertly seasoned herby chimichurri sauce.
Priced at just £27.50 this is excellent value. We added a green salad – another generous portion – to up our veggie intake. Asparagus, courgette, green beans and baby gem with a punchy pistachio and lemon dressing ensured this was so much more than a token side salad.
Desserts were reeled off by our helpful waiter and included Dulce de Leche Cheesecake and Panna Cotta but feeling quite full we opted for a couple of creamy scoops of chocolate and salted caramel ice cream.
The wine list offers many great wines by the carafe, meaning you can sample an excellent (read, expensive) bottle of wine for half the price. We can recommend the bold, full bodied Uruguayan red, priced at £22 for a carafe.
Lobos is a great addition to Soho and we can see ourselves coming back time and time again. Despite being only a few months old, it feels like it’s been here forever already.