Located on Heathcoat Street on the edge of Hockley, Nottingham, The Tapastry is an ideal place for a break after shopping in the city centre or socialising with friends over light snacks in the evening. The Tapastry is the latest addition to the ever expanding tapas scene, that has really taken off across the city in recent months. The Tapastry joins the likes of Baresca, La Tasca and Iberico which are all in close proximity and offer a range of dishes taken from traditional Spanish snack food recipes. Furthermore, there are alternative tapas restaurants such as Time Out Café which serves Asian style tapas, Yamas which serves Greek style tapas and finally The Rum House which offers a range of dishes different to that of traditional tapas.

With much competition in the area I was intrigued to see what they had to offer to an already strong tapas scene. The Tapastry has a very traditional feel to it with Spanish music playing quietly in the background. The décor is very nice and the restaurant to kitted out with wooden tables and some high stools to sit at nearer to the bar area. The traditional taverna feel is completed by the addition of wooden floors, white painted walls and a range of rustic looking paella pans hanging on the walls.

Once seated we were served promptly. We went for the patatas bravas £2.95, belly pork, apple and morchilla £7, asparagus and salchichon £3.50, chicken cordon bleu £6.95, meatballs, chilli and lemon grass sauce £5.95 and churros and chocolate £2.95. In total we shared six tapas dishes that cost a total of £29.40.

The patatas bravas was warm and freshly cooked. They were ok, although I felt that they were slightly under-cooked as I prefer it when my patatas bravas is slightly crispy. On the plus side they were seasoned with sea salt, garlic aioli and a sprinkle of paprika that added extra taste and put a slightly unique twist to the dish.

Belly pork, apple and morchilla. The pork belly was cooked perfectly and had a crisp layer of skin, whist the rest was not dry and very moist. The apple sauce that came with this dish was good and had a nice consistency, as well as not being too sweet. However, the sweetness of the apple sauce complimented the saltiness of the morchilla / blood sausage quite well. The morchilla was quite salty but very tasty and similar to chorizo in a way but fuller in flavour. The smaller slices of morchilla worked well with this dish and added to the range of textures and tastes, as well as being well presented.

Asparagus and salchicon. White asparagus spear, served cold, were nice and sweet and quite a refreshing dish, especially in the warmer weather. This dish came with a fresh salad and small pieces of crispy onion that added a nice crunch and extra taste to this dish. The thick slices of salchicon were also served cold. Overall this dish was quite tasty and the combination of ingredients worked well together and at £3.50 it was great value too!

The chicken cordon bleu was one of my favourite dishes that I sampled at The Tapastry as the chicken was moist and perfectly cooked. For tapas the size of the dish was quite reasonable and the chicken was creamy and cheesy, topped with the familiar thinly sliced pieces of crispy onions to add a depth to the textures of the dish. Although this time I was not as convinced that it needed the wooden stick hanging out of it, as unlike the pork belly it would be quite hard to share it using the sticks to pick the chicken up.

And finally, from the savoury items that I sampled, my favourite the meatballs in a chilli and lemon grass sauce! For what I felt was a reasonable price for a fairly sized dish you got five small meatballs for £5.95. The flavours were good and they were well infused throughout the meatballs. The sauce was outstanding, and not like some sauces that you get where the flavours can be hard to define. This dish had slices of lemon grass in the sauce and a good presence of chilli without being too overpowering, but instead, added a nice kick to the dish.

Finally, we had the churros and chocolate. This comprised of two freshly made warm churros with a rich dark chocolate dipping sauce. The churros were light and crispy and soft on the inside and although they were not uniform in shape they were unique and delectable.

Overall, I feel that The Tapastry offers a unique twist on traditional tapas and in areas adds something new that is well worth a try. The service is polite and prompt and the prices are reasonable on the whole. There is a very good atmposphere to the place and would be an ideal place for a snack or socialising with friends in the evening.

All of the food arrived fairly quickly to say that it is prepared and cooked freshly. The portions were a good size for tapas. There was a very good atmosphere to the place and good service too. Based on my experience I would visit again and highly recommend the meatballs with a lemon grass and chilli sauce. Furthermore, I think that three dishes per person is a good amount to order. For those on a budget you can get a lunch offer which comprises of a paella dish, tea/coffee and a dessert for only £5.

Location: The Tapastry is located on the edge of Hockley in Nottingham city centre. 23-25 Heathcoat Street, Nottingham, NG1 3AG

Opening times:

• Monday – closed,
• Tuesday to Saturday – 12PM to 11PM – last orders 9.30PM weekdays and 10PM on Saturday,
• Sunday – Closed,

Website: https://www.facebook.com/TheTapastry

Phone number: 0115 941 2669