Please note, Boceto Hackney is now closed. Time Out Editors.
Au revoir to cute bistro Bouchon Fourchette and hola to Boceto Hackney, a tapas bar taking its place on Mare Street. Although, judging from our visit, a warmer welcome should be extended to the cocktails. This is a sister venue to Brixton’s Three Eight Four and Seven, both restaurants where the drinks win out. So we made easy work of a Barrel-aged Gunpowder Negroni and an original mezcal-based creation, the Abuela, whose chilli kick would surely knock Granny for six.
Secondary to the sterling drink offering is a limited tapas menu. The staples are all here: chorizo, charcuteria, pan con tomate. But flavours run fairly flat, especially in a prawn dish lacking sufficient garlicky depth. It’s comforting, though, to taste patatas bravas the way they should be – charmingly rustic chunks of spud with a liberal dousing of rich tomato sauce and aioli.
What’s truly authentic, though, is the Spanish style of service: we were left far too long to mull over the menu, but there was plenty of warmth as soon as we got their attention. Sit up at the bar to make life easier and you’ll also get Speedy Gonzales access to those drinks.