Pinchjo’s

My first impression was that this place is small. And they’re trying to get as much out of the space as possible so all the tables are crammed together. Be prepared to awkwardly shuffle past a stranger while they’re eating. Not ideal.
On a Saturday night at 8pm they were pretty much full but service was spot on so this wasn’t an issue other than the aforementioned tight squeeze. The décor, music and vibe were all screaming 90s at me. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I have to wonder if that was a purposeful choice.
So, the food. Some was really good and some was just ‘eh’.
— Halloumi: Good as in tasty but nothing special really. I just really like halloumi so had to order it.
— Patatas Bravas: Tasty but I would have liked them to be spicier.
— Meatballs: I tried one and while there was nothing wrong with it I just don’t really rate meatballs. Boyfriend seemed to like them.
— Gambas Pil Pil: This was good with a decent portion of meaty prawns.
— Morcilla: Neither of us liked this. Not sure if this was bad or if I just don’t like Spanish black pudding. Still, I wasn’t into the flavour or the texture. The presentation of this dish was lovely though.
— Paella (chicken and chorizo): Again I didn’t eat much of this but it was pretty good.
So overall a mixed bag. Other than the morcilla there was nothing that I or my boyfriend wouldn’t eat again given the opportunity. I think Pinchjo’s is a perfectly nice option for some casual dining.

I have to say, I didn’t think Pinchjo’s was very good which seems to put me at odds with basically everyone else that has been there including my two fellow diners. So maybe I am just wrong. But let me explain.
The prices were great — all the dishes were £2.50 — £3 (I think this is a Monday — Thursday deal) which frankly is so cheap these days it’s almost not worth complaining about the food. However, I really didn’t think the food was that great. Calamari and patatas bravas were just ok. The calamari came with something that was supposed to be chilli and garlic mayo but which tasted like thousand island dressing. Good quality plain alioli would have been much better. Patatas bravas were a little soggy, obviously there’s a sauce on them but they should retain some crispness rather than being drenched in it, generally. Maybe this is just the house style.
Gambas pil pil I thought kind of had a strange taste which I suspect was something to do with the oil. You get five prawns which is a good portion size but overall this dish was disappointing, especially when compared for example with the incredibly good gambas al ajillo at Tapas Brindisa in London Bridge (to be fair, those cost £8.95 — for a small plate!)
Finally the tortilla. Tortilla española is one of my favourite dishes in the world. Done well, it is one of the most delicious things you will ever eat, despite its simple ingredients. One time I had a tortilla in a baguette, which was one of the biggest and best meals of my life. Unfortunately I almost immediately afterwards went home to my host family to find out that grandpa had slaughtered a goat from his farm for me, which I then also had to eat. This tortilla, however, was really bad. It was very soggy, it had no flavour, you could barely tell there were potatoes in it, let alone onions. Maybe there weren’t onions in it at all, actually, but then don’t call it Spanish omelette. It was basically just egg and what looked like spinach. What I can say for it is that there were 3 slices, which was generous.
The restaurant appearance and atmosphere is nice and service was pleasant and I was impressed when our server came over to apologise for the food being delayed (we hadn’t been waiting inordinately long at that point). But overall I guess we did wait quite a while as we weren’t really sharing it was a bit awkward when 2 people got most of their stuff way before the other 1. Not that big a deal though really.

This place is an amazingly good tapas restaurant. The cod was wonderful, the Mexican salad was grand — as were all of the other dishes we had. The cooking is inventive and really raises the bar on good tapas food. The staff are warm and friendly and the wine selection was great. I came away really impressed — and full!

My review is far from what a professional would write, but I just have to go ahead with writing something!
Coming from an area in Massachusetts that apparently doesn’t have many (if any) Tapas bars near me, I didn’t know what to expect as I never even heard of «Tapas» prior to my trip. It would be my first time to experience Tapas while at Pinchjo’s.
I was ever so pleasantly surprised!
The staff was so helpful in explaining to me what «Tapas» is all about and went over the dishes with me and also made some great suggestions to me… I am a very picky eater!
If memory serves me correctly, I had bread and olives (I never thought I could be in love with this! It’s so simple, yet divine!) along with Chicken Goujons (several other things) and a very nice cold beer (the way I like it, very cold).
The atmosphere was nice, inside and out. I sat outside and enjoyed the evening. Inside there were a couple of families, with their young children, enjoying their Tapas as well.
After eating Tapas there, I wanted to try another place during my trip to Didsbury. The «other place» had an overwhelming menu and «cold» staff that offered no help or guidance to get me through the menu.
At the end of my three week trip, Pinchjo’s was the most reasonably priced restaurant I ate at. My next trip over, I will only go to Pinchjo’s!

I love tapas… and as Angela has said in her review, the style of tapas you will find here is authentic and does indeed preserve and present intact the original native variety. They also have dishes inspired by North Africa and the Mediterranean cuisine. Apart form the food being great, the relaxed atmosphere created by the bar-​resturant setting similar to that you would find in Spain is a welcome relief from some of the stiff and pretentious restaurants in the same area. The prices are very reasonable too! This place is great fun, a good place to go with friends!

As someone who has lived in Spain for a number of years, I’m always quite wary of tapas bars in the UK that claim to have British twist. I’m a classic purist, believing that if something has worked for centuries there’s no need to modify a winning formula.
The thing about Pinchjo’s though, is Jo’s enthusiasm and charm, which translates directly into the food he prepares and the atmosphere of the décor. It really does look like a basque bar with its classic bar seating and traditional wooden furniture. The latin music immediately lifts your spirits and it’s clear the staff here are enjoying themselves, they’re so friendly and smiley.
The food, based on Basque pintxos (tapas mounted on little rounds on bread), I have to admit, are welcome modifications to classic dishes. Yes, I take it back. The chorizo cooked in white wine was sublime, as was the pan-​fried red mullet with salsa verde. Washed down with my favourite South American beer, I was a happy chappy indeed.