Condesa

Stumbled across this little spot while trying to navigate the sub-​par, over-​priced establishments that litter the area. It’s a cosy wine bar with a lot of personality. We enjoyed the Rioja and a few tapas, including the pork sliders, chorizo in red wine and Cecina de Leon (the special, cured beef with goats cheese). All delicious.
The service was friendly and we thought the prices were extremely reasonable. Great for couples, not ideal for groups.

Went here for dinner last night. Fabulous service and such a fun atmosphere. Very small, but it’s all you need for delicious Spanish cuisine. We had a carafe of rose which was very affordability priced and refreshing for a hot evening. We then had a mixed cheese board, mixed meat board, bbq corn nuts and a tomato bread. The tomato bread was out of this world fresh! So incredibly simple but just perfection. Will continue to return to Condesa!

To be honest, one of the worst tapas places I’ve ever been. The place is as tiny as their tapas, with no room for waiters, customers and tables. The staff was nice with us, but the food and was not as good as we expected. We went out thinking «so,. where are we going to have dinner now?»

We were looking for a friendly place to enjoy one for the road after dinner. We were tempted to join old faithfuls like Big Easy or La Perla when we spotted Condesa. A lovely small bar promising a less noisy end to the night. The fact that we didn’t stick to one cocktail says it all, and I’d be glad to return for a taste of their delicious sounding dishes. Not sure which came first, but I this reminded me of the original Fernandez & Wells in Soho and I even thought the two were related — a compliment to both in this case.

Wow the food. Tapas here was AMAZING! I can’t even describe how mouthwateringly tasty it was! And you watch it being cooked fresh behind the bar as you drink. I had the Mexican white wine which was perfect to go with the duck confit sliders. Manchego was awesome too! Friendly people. Bit squashy inside but that added to the charm. I’d come here again to drag along friends who haven’t been yet.

The tapas was solid, especially the specials and the cheese plate. However, while it does not indicate this anywhere, the prices are per person, not per item, so what we originally thought was very reasonably priced turned out to be rather expensive. I would have preferred the ability to get single portions for single prices to get a greater variety, and the misleading way it was presented left a bad taste in my mouth.

I’ve now randomly happened upon Condesa twice while in the Covent Garden area. Cocktails are delicious and the entire staff is very friendly and helpful. I’ll be coming back when I return to London and recommending to friends.

Perfect prelude to a London show! The bleu cheese salad, jamon iberico, chorizo, y huevos rotos were all served timely, well presented, and friendly service. Highly recommended…

Excellent place to meet friends. Attentive but not intrusive staff. Freshly cooked food with great selection of tapas. Wine delicious. Relaxed atmosphere and you can watch the chef and sit at the bar! Would recommend to small groups as pretty small but makes for a very cosy evening

Do I start with «wow» or «yummm!»? This place may be our repeat place of London. There was a short wait (the place was tiny) but they were very hospitable. Octal the service was shockingly good, and the food excellent. We had great pan con tomate, octopus, and tuna tostadas, plus slow braised pig cheek tacos. The only thing that was average was the cocktails. They a bit pricey for not really mixologist quality. In any case, we’ll be back (and try the sangria!).

I am in shock that our bill for 2 people came to 100GBP. How is that possible? We had a bottle and a carafe of wine (but the bottle was only 25 GBP) so how did we eat that much worth of food? A little slider here, a little salad there, some patatas bravas, some mini tacos… it’s not like we left with our bellies exploding. The quality probably didn’t match the price.
And when you sit at the tables the wall juts out, so they aren’t the most comfortable tables and stools.
The service was not so great.
If I am going to spend that type of money I’d go down the street to Barrafina and get mind-​blowing food. Or go around the corner to Opera Tavern.
I’d say pass on Condesa, even if you are on an expense account.

Wow, I did not expect to find a place like this in London. A group of us happened upon this tapas bar by chance when we tried to go to the Porterhouse to watch the world cup final but didn’t feel like being rammed in with hundreds of people. We saw this place a few doors down and they were about to put the game on so we sat down. There was one guy working in a tiny corner of the bar churning out tapas like a well-​oiled machine. Cool and collected, this guy was fast yet every plate that came out was equally beautiful and delicious. It was a great night out and I can’t recommend this place enough. We tried several things and everything was superb. I’m guessing there’s not a bad dish here, so try whatever suits your fancy!

An incredibly intimate, lively space with super friendly staff and an incredible flair for intensely flavored tapas. Don’t let the somewhat limited menu deter you as they offer 5 or 6 daily specials which supplement the regular menu quite well. Don’t miss the mixed board of dried meats with green olives and warm toasted but still chewable bread. Naturally the aged Manchego is required pairing for the mixed board, served with quince paste cubes… ask the bartender for some fresh rosemary to add even more flair! I ordered two specials, the pork cheek taco was the most tender, juicy, flavorful meat I have ever eaten. The solomillo special with sliced potato and onion was pretty good, but the pear conserve served atop the beef made it sing!

i cant believe if found this place in a back street of Covent garden! i generally avoid restaurants in touristy areas as they are overpriced and lack any character. However, Condesa looks like it could have been taken straight out of the east village in NYC… i. e Cool hole in the wall style vibe.
we got their late afternoon and they agreed to extend their lunch fixed price menu where you get 3 tapas dishes and a Spanish style coconut smoothie for £10. between my wife and I we got all 6 of the ‘happy hour’ dishes they offered. They don’t have a kitchen but seemed to work miracles on a small little grill behind the bar.
don’t get me wrong this is not in the same class as Jose’ in Bermondsey… but these 6 plates are fantastic for £20. you could taste the pride and effort they put into their menu too.
1) Chorizo Iberico– i love Chorizo and this was very juicy!
2) Pulled Pork Pibil — kinda like a pulled pork slider but with a kick
3) Quesadilla — mmm cheese cant go wrong here
4) Ommelette tortilla — my favourite! he even asked if we wanted this well done or a little runny.
5) Tuna and potato salad — i was worried about this dish but it was delicious. great balance with green olives and peas.
6) Spanish style meatballs — i normally have the italian style meatballs. there was not as much sauce but it had a great flavour. meatballs were well cooked well and had great texture.
this will be my goto snack place when i’m in the area. next time i’m going to go back and try our some of their wines too.

What a charming bar!
Friendly staff, plenty of seating (for the small size of the place), fun chalkboard «graffiti» walls in the bathrooms, and Corn Nuts for munching on. Yes, Corn Nuts! That lovely staple of American truck stop shops and, apparently, Spanish bars.
Delightful.