As a keen Spanish food enthusiast I could hardly contain my excitement when Daily Info was invited to exercise our taste buds - the only form of exercise I enjoy - by trying some tapas at La Taberna, and it did not disappoint!
La Taberna is a small, independently managed restaurant buried away in the city centre at the end of an unassuming alleyway - I almost missed it so make sure to look out for the sign below the Shezan Indian restaurant. The restaurant’s hidden location creates a sense of secrecy, which adds an exciting and unique layer to the dining experience.
As you walk through, the alley quickly becomes illuminated as you're met with a wall wrapped in gleaming fairy lights, adding to an enchanting atmosphere. As soon as you open the door you are hit with an explosion of your senses, with authentic Spanish music flowing into your ears whilst your eyes take in the warmly lit and gorgeously decorated room filled with traditional Spanish decor. You begin to forget you are in central Oxford and are instead transported to a warm night out in Spain.
As an extremely indecisive individual, I found it difficult to choose from the wide variety of items on their menu, which included a range of appetisers, both cold and hot tapas, and desserts! It was a struggle to resist ordering everything on the menu but in the end, with a little help from the friendly staff, we decided to select a few dishes to share and started with some Spanish classics - Aceitunas Aliñadas (Marinated Olives) and the Pan con Aceite de Olivia y Vinagre, aioli (Bread with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, aioli).
We did not have to wait long for the rest of our dishes to be delivered and had barely begun tucking into our starters when they arrived. We had gone for one of Spain's most popular tapas dishes, patatas bravas (which quite literally translates to ‘’spicy potatoes’’, two of my favourite things). While every country appears to have its own variation of a potato dish, whether it be hash browns or Aloo Gobi, I think the Spanish version is the tastiest and La Taberna proved me right. Diced potatoes sauteed in oil were served with a warm spicy chilli and garlic aioli sauce. The potatoes were soft and well seasoned and the garlic provided a nice contrast to the spice, which when all put together melted in your mouth. This simple but delicious dish is proof that sometimes less is more.
This dish was accompanied by the Chorizo al Vino Tinto, slices of chorizo soaked in red wine. The wine had permeated through the chorizo combining two classic Spanish flavours and allowing them to mingle, resulting in the sweetness of the wine balancing the spiciness of the chorizo to create a tasty and tender dish. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all and was quickly polished off.
The final dish that we had ordered was a classic Spanish tapa Gambas al Ajillo - king prawns in garlic and white wine. My dinner guest absolutely despises both prawns and garlic so I had ordered this dish exclusively for me, and boy was I glad I didn’t have to share it! The king prawns were swimming in the garlic-infused white wine and were marinated to perfection. The chef had got the measurements just right so that the garlic wasn't overpowering and beautifully complemented the delicate prawns.
Despite tapas dishes being small, we were so full that we didn't have room for the churros - which are rumoured to be amazing, so I will definitely be back to try them! The team at La Taberna were amazing and made sure we were well looked after and had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Make sure to visit this hidden gem and experience some sensational flavours and a taste of Spain.