Located outside Deptford Station – in the foodie/drinkie enclave made up of the Market Yard’s converted arches – The Tapas Room is a dinky Spanish spot and a spin-off of Pop Brixton’s late, lamented Donostia Social Club.
It’s a serene space with a short counter bar and not much else. It’s worth noting that TTR’s remit is wine shop with added small plates – in that order. A fact reflected by the excellent Sabina Estate Crianza tempranillo and the fine raw fino sherry. The tapas is alright-to-righteous: the best of the latter saw rounds of earthy morcilla, crowned with fried quail’s eggs and plonked on a bed of smoky, oily piquillo peppers; a plate of fulsome pickled anchovies; and some textbook octopus, the samphire-festooned arms meaty and yielding at the body end, crisply gnarled at the other.
Some dishes erred towards average. A few lozenge-shaped spinach croquetas were meekly flavoured, while a platter of otherwise tip-top serrano reserva ham was sliced far too thickly. It may not be posing any threat to London’s Spanish titans, but The Tapas Room is a sunny enough bolthole all the same.