Restaurant review: La Gordita provides a taste of Spain at home

Almost a year ago a Spanish friend and I attempted a Tapas Trail through Dublin city on a warm June evening, we succeeded, but only just. The massive costs of running a restaurant these days means that margins are as tight as they have ever been so restaurants cannot afford to encourage diners to simply stop by for a glass of wine and a tapas.

In Spain of course everyone simply grasps tapas in one hand and Albariño in the other, with perhaps an old wine barrel to lean on. On our tapas trail Tapas de Lola was jam-packed, but we could still sit outside with glasses of Fino and ‘Berenjenas Fritas’ (fried aubergines) — it was a highlight of the evening.

Well now they have a sister restaurant called La Gordita just 100m away and there are plans for outdoor seating. La Gordita of course had no bookings available so we took a chance and simply turned up at 5pm (opening time). This was a risky strategy but we were delighted to find three seats reserved for ‘walk-ins’ were still available.

La Gordita is pitched as ‘Bodega-style’ dining but as mentioned above they would never survive on selling tapas and snacks so expect to order a full meal. The room is warm and inviting with a long bar and tables and a countertop to the side where we were sitting — the space is small but we did not feel cramped.

We began with three Gilda (€3.75 each), the classic Basque Pintxo of an olive, a (Santoña) anchovy and a brined chilli pepper on a stick — the perfect way to wake up your palate, especially if combined with a glass of Lustau Manzanilla Sherry (€7.50).

Pan Con Ajo Asado (€6.95) is another starter you need to try — fat whole bulbs of garlic cut in half to allow you to squeeze each roasted juicy clove onto slices of crusty bread. The contrast between the flavourful creamy-pungent garlic and the doughy-crunchy bread was mesmerisingly good.

Anchoas de Santoña (€17) meanwhile sat on a velvety blanket of Valdeón blue cheese mixed with butter atop crisp wonton pastry - the crunch of the pastry, the buttery fatty cheese and the savoury salty anchovy all melded beautifully in the mouth creating layers and layers of flavour - another must-order.

Tortilla of the day (€15) was a simple herbed omelette topped with chunks of fresh prawn and arrived in a hot cast iron pan to allow it to cook further if required — it didn’t have time as it disappeared in seconds — a reminder of the power of fine quality ingredients cooked well.

Bombitas de Morcilla (€9.75) meanwhile, was a creative combination of savoury Spanish black pudding with creamy-spiky goat’s cheese on stripes of savoury-sweet tomato marmalade for contrast.

Mains were kept simple and were all the better for it — Octopus (€33) with romesco was tender and rich while Galta — Pig Cheeks (€29) were served on the bone with crispy potato slices and had a meaty-hearty rustic simplicity that I adored.

Similarly, Lamb Ribs (€29) were allowed to sing out their flavours on their own, helped by pitch-perfect seasoning.

Gordita’s wine list is well chosen with a selection from Spain and elsewhere, plus various options by the glass with most under a tenner. Ultreia Godello from Bierzo (€49) was aromatic, textured and weighty enough to cope with any richer flavours while Soplo Garnacha (€34) from Valencia was juicy and soft and a fine match for our meat dishes.

Best of the desserts for me was the Tarta de Manzana (€12), crisp apple tart with caramelised edges served with rum & raisin ice cream, but Torrijas (€7) — almond milk-soaked bread with an almond custard — was a close second.

Despite all the dishes we ordered there were only a couple of tiny missteps, our fried sweetbreads had spent a little too long in the pan and dried a little, and one of my lamb chops was under-cooked (but quickly rectified) — minor quibbles in a rather thrilling meal.

Vanessa Murphy and Ana Cabrera have another winner on their hands and I intend to visit as often as possible.

The Tab:

Dinner for three including Snacks, Starters, Mains, Sides, and Desserts plus two bottles of wine cost €253.70.

The Verdict:

• Food: 8.5/10
• Wine: 9/10
• Service: 9/10
• Ambience: 9/10
• Value: 8/10
• In a Sentence: A gorgeous new Spanish restaurant offering a mix of thrilling creative dishes mixed with some rustic simplicity - it’s joyous.