A friend mentioned awhile back that there was this new place in London which served the most amazing burgers. Brad certainly doesn’t need much convincing when good burgers are concerned, so we booked into the Opera Tavern for Sunday lunch on the weekend before Easter. 

We were early to arrive, so we popped into the Hope & Greenwood shop on the corner of Catherine Street which is stocked to the brim with lollies and chocolates. Definitely worth a visit if you are a sugar fiend. With some treats purchased, it was almost time for our reservation.

We were seated upstairs in the dining room, with a handful of other couples who’d ventured out into central London on marathon day. Service was friendly and efficient and drinks were delivered swiftly. 

Not wanting to overdo ourselves, we started in stages, ordering a handful of dishes at a time until we were full. First to arrive was Crispy Iberico Pigs Ears (£3.00) which were one of my choices. I’d heard these were too hard to be edible but I found them just the right side of crunchy. Best pork scratchings ever. 

Next up was the Courgette Flowers Stuffed with Goats’ Cheese and Drizzled with Honey (£7.55). We’d tried Salt Yard’s version at Taste London a few years ago and ever since then I’ve developed an obsessions with these delicate flowers — mainly because they are almost impossible to buy and I don’t have a garden to grow my own courgettes. These were excellent. Crispy batter and filled with creamy goat’s cheese which was balanced by the honey drizzled over top. 

The waitress recommended that we order a Mini Iberico Pork and Foie Gras Burger (£5.50) each, which is probably a good idea. This is not something you are going to be wanting to share. This is the only burger that even comes close to the Hawksmoor wonder. The flavour of the meat is just out of this world. I could have eaten four of these meaty delights. I would love to see them add a bigger version of this to the downstairs bar menu.  

With those dishes out of the way, it was time for another round of tapas. Going for an option of the fish section of the menu, we plumped for Crispy Squid and Sea Purslane with Chilli Alioli (£6.75). Brad and I had a long debate about what Sea Purslane actually was, expecting it to be something like Samphire but it turns out it is a small greyish-green shrub found in coastal areas. The leaves were crunchy and a little salty but I’m not sure they really added much to the dish. The squid was lovely though but I didn’t get much chilli kick from the alioli. 

When I pointed out the Patatas Fritas with Alioli and Bravas Sauce (£3.75) on the menu to Brad, he got all excited and insisted we order some. I had visions of Patatas Bravas that I had in Spain (as did Brad no doubt) and these were a little different than I expected but not in any way a disappointment. The fritas were fresh and crunchy, the sauces well executed. I expected some more kick from the bravas but perhaps I’ve just adapted to Brad’s predilection for spicy food! 

I almost wished we’d sampled more of the cured meats and grill options as the Chorizo with Piquillo and Marjoram (£5.25) were amazing. Although the chorizo looks a little dark in this photo, it was cooked brilliantly. The peppers were a great match for the spicy chorizo.

Given I’d got some pork scratching, it was only fair that Brad ordered his favourite bar food - the Italian Style Scotch Egg (£3.75). Calling it Italian style seems rather tenuous to me, as the only evidence is of this is the sprinkling of herbs on top. Still, it was a good scotch egg and I thought the alioli was a nice touch. In my quest to “love the egg”, I tried to eat a half of this but ate the scotch, half of the egg and gave the rest to Brad. At least I tried!

I was completely stuffed by that point but Brad insisted we try the Gorgonzola and Date Croquettes (£4.75). It’s hard not to love a freshly cooked, cheese-filled croquette and these were no exception. The sweet date and the sharp gorgonzola was an unusual choice for a filling but it worked. 

I wanted to share a dessert but I didn’t fancy Brad’s choice of a Pannacotta, so I ordered my own Warm Hazelnut Cake with Lemon Thyme Ice-Cream (£5.35). Unfortunately the desserts felt like the weakest part of the meal to me, which up until now had been practically flawless. It’s not that my cake wasn’t lovely, it was just a bit meh after the other food we’ve had. 

Brad was happier with his Pannacotta with Clementine Sorbet and Blood Orange Granita (£5.35) although again, this was a little underwhelming. Taste-wise the pannacotta was good but the trickiest thing about it is making it set. As it was served in a bowl, this takes out a little of the challenge. Brad maintained that the sorbet was too cold and perhaps needed a longer time to stand before serving. The best element by far was the blood orange granita. 

All in all, the damage was just shy of £100. Given we didn’t drink that much — A glass of Prosecco for me, two wines for Brad, sparking water to share — it may seem a little pricey but the quality of the food we had was brilliant and more than made up for it.

I’d be more than happy to go again, even if it was just a quick trip to the bar downstairs for some of those burgers. 

Opera Tavern
23 Catherine St 
London 
WC2B 5JS 

Phone: +44(0)2078363680
http://www.operatavern.co.uk/