Salt Yard

Been here too many times to count! It’s my go to restaurant for entertaining both clients and impressing friends!
The staff are super friendly and never fail to squeeze you in one way or another.
The food is always delicious and changes regularly. Yes there are the staples like pork belly on white beans and the fennel salami charcuterie platter. But always something fresh and different such as the unforgettable scallop carpaccio I had over two years ago. Even the story is lovely in that the couple who started the restaurant one being Italian and the other Spanish so they decided to make a fusion tapas menu. You can’t write this stuff!
If you find yourself in the Charlotte St. area then do yourself a favour and go check it out!

Food was spectacular. Amazingly tasty and perfect size. We went there for a team lunch — 8 people, tried at least 15 different tapas and all was delicious. I especially loved their special and fish&seafood. Highly recommended!

Had an enjoyable evening out here, but you have to be really in it for the food. To be honest, at a certain price point one wonders what one is paying for… every dish was exceptionally tasty, but even to share with a party of four it was difficult. Couldn’t help but be painfully conscious that every small mouthful was about £4.
Anyway, if you’re not that hungry or have the deep pockets, you’ll be happy with the flavours. Perhaps just not for me.

I’m not sure if I would call this tapas, some of the portions were quite big and could easily be mistaken for a maincourse. The food was ok but some of the dishes lacked salt and where kind of flat. We had to pay for bread even though it was offered in the beginning like it was free. I ordered a «black russian» which consists of two components but was denied because it «was not on the meny». Over all an OK restaurant, certainly not the higlight of our stay here.

We arrived with a party of six and the place was very busy. Understandably, they were unable to seat us. They offered to make a booking for us later in the evening, and we returned after an hour at the appointed time. When we arrived (even hungrier than before) we were informed that they gave away our table to «a man who looked like you.» Not a good impression of this restaurant’s professionalism. Be prepared to get turned away even if you make a booking.

The standout dish was the Chargrilled Ibérico Pressa, Roast Cauliflower with Spiced Cauliflower Purée & Smoked Almond Migas (£10.50), which comes pink and is pure melt in the mouth gorgeousness.
I also really enjoyed the Sautéed Chorizo and Baby Squid with Braised Chickpeas & Squid Ink Dressing (£7.50). Chorizo with anything is great but especially squid and octopus and let’s face it, when was the last time you have a squid ink dressing?
The Salad of Burrata with Steamed Asparagus, Slow Roast Tomatoes, Grilled Courgettes & Pesto (£8) was also delicious with it’s mix of silky, creamy burrata, pesto and mediterranean veg.

Really amazing vegetarian small plates. I’m not sure if I would call this tapas — the portions are actually quite big not exactly Spanish.
The baked polenta was average, but the mushroom and chard topping was lovely. I would definitely recommend the truffled macaroni and cheese and the courgette (zucchini) flower. Both were fantastic!

Actually 3.5 stars. I visited Salt Yard for a late lunch recently. Of the 3 dishes I had, the squid and chorizo dish was great, the slow-​cooked octopus and potato dish was lacking in flavor, and the quail and ham dish did not seem to be well thought out in terms of flavors (I think using figs vs. grapes may have been preferable in terms of balancing out the ham). I will say that I had a nice glass of sparkling rose (or prosessco rosato), but I don’t think that made up for the plates I found middling. I could say that perhaps I ordered the wrong thing, but, on a menu that is limited, should there really be a wrong thing?
As far as ambience, Salt Yard is quite cosy, which was great at 2 in the afternoon, but could be a bit claustrophobic when it’s busy.
Earlier this year, I stood in line at Barrafina for an hour before being seated around a counter in a much smaller environment, and I enjoyed that experience to Salt Yard.

Delicious set menu, one at £35 and one at £40. We went with the cheaper one and were full beyond belief at the end. The most expensive one may not actually result in more food, it might just be a few substitutions that are a bit fancier, but I’ll have to find out next time. You’ll need at least 7 people for one of the set menus, but they were very flexible about groups.
You’ll start with some delicious olives, grilled flatbread (with an incredible accompanying sauce…), cheese and jamon. This will be followed by a couple fish dishes, meat, vegetables, and finally the puddings (if you still have room!). My favorite were the courgette flowers stuffed with goat cheese and drizzled with honey — amazing! Also had some wonderful pork belly.
If I were to come back here with just one other person or a small group of friends I’d probably have trouble deciding what to order and what not to as everything was delicious. At £35−40 per person it is a little pricey, but for a special occasion it’s pretty reasonable and a great experience.

Good high-​end tapas, but no flavors that wowed us.
The presentation was we-​done and the service was great too. But there were no tastes that wowed. All good, but nothing popped.
Highlight: The cheese plate of manchego was the best flavor-​wise. Also the croquettes were done nicely.
Lowlight: frites bravas were just English chips with paprika on them and sauces that weren’t hitting the flavor mark as you’d find in Spain. A lazy attempt at this simple dish.
Overall I’d say it was a good lunch but pricey for what it was. Also the bench seating is sloped down or something and gave me a massive backache.

Great, friendly service and they magically were able to seat us when we showed up on a weekend evening without a reservation. The décor is chic and upmarket with (slightly) more spacious seating than most crammed London restaurants. The tapas were modern style with some unique twists.

Beautiful tapas! Like how tapas should be, savour every mouthful for the unique and intriguing flavours that shine through. Yes it’s a little more pricey than your standard traditional Spanish tapas but the ingredients are top class and you can see and taste the care given into each little dish. Strangely a bit quiet when I went and as such this along with the décor made the experience less casual and more formal than how tapas traditionally is, but that’s a minor point and probably reflects the quality of the food, and protagonists more about me preferring to bum it out.

Lovely tapas with a great selection of wines which comes recommended — found it quite pricey so dont visit regularly however well worth a visit! Has outdoor seating so you can watch the world go by. Gets very busy so suggest booking rather than just turning up. You can sit at the bar as well! Croquettes were my favourite!

Lately everywhere I eat either serves tapas or mezze. You will start to notice a trend in my reviews. I really love food that you can share with friends. This was the first of 3 tapas restaurants I ate in over one gluttonous, but very satisfying weekend, and Salt Yard is definitely up there.
We booked as we were advised to and I’m glad we did. The place was packed and it is easy to see why. The food here is fantastic and really interesting. We gorged ourselves on Jamon Croquetas, Slow cooked pork cheeks, Duck Arancini and Patatas Fritas with Bravas Sauce and Alioli and it would be hard to pick a favourite, although if I had to the pork cheeks really were sublime. We also indulged in a plate of Serrano ham, selection of breads, olives and Chorizo. I’m sure you get the picture — we ate a shedload of seriously delicious food. We also had a few bottles of wine recommended by our lovely and attentive waiter.
All in all we had a terrific night here and I for one cannot wait to go back. Do yourself a favour and make a date with Salt Yard — you will not regret it!

I finally managed to venture my way to Salt Yard with their fantastic Bank holiday offer where they were offering a staggering 50% off food during lunch. As much as we enjoyed our lunch the place lacks that charm it has in Ember Yard. It was very closed in, a long bench seating where you share among other customers but with your own small individual table. You also have the choice to sit around the bar. I suppose they try and fill the place with as many seating as possible to avoid people queuing but in the end you lose out on the nice relaxing vibe like you get in their sister branch, Ember Yard which I love. It just lacks space and privacy.
Food wise it was great but not extraordinary with some dishes better than others. Most of the tapas were done well but the flavours and textures did not amaze me as much as my first visit to their sister branch Ember Yard.
Saying that I was very impress with their Spanish Selection Charcuterie which was very skillfully cut, thin and juicy. They were cured very right to the palate, salty but not overwhelming so the flavours could be enjoyed with the chorizo being my favourite with the punch of sweet spice They particularly went well with our Spanish cheese selection, paired very well with a sweet compliment such as strawberry jam with a good mix of the more pungent variety, nutty and creamy.
As a side we also ordered Chargrilled Flat Bread with Homemade Butter which came warm and fluffy with a nice light herby butter which I wish they could be more generous with as it was lovely and creamy with a very low melting point so it spread along the bread as soon as it touched it.
The quail eggs were cooked perfectly, easy to peel, light and tasty. And the almonds roasted nicely, crunchy and salty.
Off the tapas menu we started with the Salt Cod Croquetas which were good and crispy on the outside, stuffed generously with chunky pieces of fish. It could have been more creamier but that was resolved by the light refreshing bravas sauce was a lovely addition as it lifted the sweetness and added moisture in the dish.
Next came my all time favourite of the Salt Group chain, the courgette flower stuffed with Goat’s Cheese and drizzled with Honey. In fact it was so good my boyfriend nearly cried when the plate got taken away before he could lick the honey off the plate clean. It was just that combination the crispy light batter, creamy pungent goat cheese, sweet warm honey against the savoury courgette flower that made this dish amazing. Sadly it doesn’t come cheap, £4.50 for one and
we had two to share,
The Slow Cooked Octopus were incredibly tender and citrusy. They were a bit over generous with the olive oil which I felt wasn’t needed and it was also let down by the ratte potatoes which were under seasoned and bland. It seems like the flavours did not seep through.
I also was a bit disappointed with the tortilla which didn’t have the oozy effect I was after. I had high expectations for this dish. I suppose it is a preference but I also found this dish a bit bland and could have been more richer. I felt a bit of moisture could have made the texture of potatoes and egg a little less dense and stuffy.
My least favourite fish had to be the Roast Loch Duart Salmon, Mussel and Saffron Risotto. As nice as the salmon was, perfectly cooked I found the dill in the risotto way too overpowering, taking over all the other delicate flavours. The risotto was also too saucy and lost it’s al dente texture. What a shame for such a wonderful cooked fish with it’s crispy skin and flakiness.
We ended with a light finished of Duck Arancini with Mozzarella, Squash Purée and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. i wasn’t sure if i wanted it light as the mozzarella wasn’t very apparent. It lacked that stringy cheese and creamy texture I was after but instead had a more healthier wholesome texture to it. Tasted very average to me with the flavours not really coming through, especially the duck which can be very flavoursome.
After the meal I felt very happy that we had the 50% off or otherwise the outcome could have been even more disappointing. I just feel I could have better tapas at a more local Spanish restaurant and the prices would have been the same with what we paid. It was also very crammed, little space and lacking something in it’s décor although it may have a better atmosphere in the evening. Still I very much prefer Ember Yard being their sister, better food and décor. But I do understand their menu changes seasonally so things can potentially change.

Phenomenal tapas. I highly recommend the croquetas, pork belly, duck arancini, beef tartare, courgette, baby squid, and the tortilla. Amazing quality ingredients and lovely display. Still liked the octopus but there was too little of it; more potato than anything else. We got the red wine and that went perfectly with our selections. The restaurant is small and intimate… service was great. We finished the night by trying the ricotta dumplings, chocolate fondant and homemade cantucci. My favourite was surprisingly the first one, they were like fried sweet donuts!

As a Tapas lover, this place is excellent in providing traditional tapas with an Italian twist (there’s even some kind of macaroni cheese there).
Rather than going down the traditional road and ordering wine, why not get some of the delicious herbal teas — they have a good range and you get a free refill.
Friendly and relaxed atmosphere with excellent food!

«I think the beef changed my life»
Randomly found this place when looking for a late night dinner. Most of the other kitchens in the area closed around 10pm, but not this place!
It’s a tiny restaurant lover two floors, the ground floor has a small bar and open kitchen where you can see them cracking away at the charcuterie etc, we got a table, but next time I’ll sit at the bar cos then you can watch them in action. The tables are quite tight together, which made things a bit awks when the girl next to us started to bulb her eyes out!
The food really was top notch, fried squid was heavily salted, but light and crispy. We also had their version of patatas bravas, a bit more like home made fries, with aioli and a separate tomato sauce. The potatoes were damn near perfect, slightly crispy around the edges, but sweet soft and fluffy in the middle. Truffled macaroni was a bit odd, the cheese sauce was too thin and they obviously used truffle oil as opposed to proper truffles, at £8.50, for a small (ish) dish, I expected more. We also had the most amazing beef high, a bit like warm carpaccio, on a bed of lentils which was a complete taste sensation. I think the beef changed my life
Service was snappy, as expected, no complaints.

Seriously, one of my favourite tapas restaurants in London. They’re usually busy, but not overwhelmingly so and they take reservations, unlike most other tapas restaurants in the area. Plus one for Salt Yard.
The menu is simple and classic, but they do it well. On my most recent visit, we had the patatas bravas, chorizo skewers, diver scallops (heavenly!), pork belly, and courgette flowers. All were delicious — our faves being the scallops and the chorizo — and we were stuffed by the end of our meal.
I’ve got to say, the Salt Yard group in general does chorizo well… at a separate occasion at a bbq food festival, I got to try their pork and chorizo burger and it was absolutely amazing — the combination of chorizo and pork with whatever seasonings they used worked incredibly well and if I could’ve, I would’ve had a second. Wish it were on the menu here!

I had a Mega Meal here. The waiter warned us we’d over-​ordered, but then accidentally brought something we cancelled, by which time we’d added patatas bravas, but the food was so good the patatas were the only things that didn’t get finished!
The courgette flowers weren’t quite as good as I’d expected, not much cheese, but still a nice dish. From the fish section, we ordered the soft shell crab and squid, both things I always love and really enjoyed. Far from being rubbery, the squid had a refined flavour.
Meat wise we got the beef which was quite delicate and the jamon croquetas with manchego. I’ve found croquetas to be a bit disappointing at times, but these were excellent.
The highlight for me was the truffled macaroni cheese, cep and truffle arancini, and gnocchi with girolles. There’s a general theme there! Rich, creamy, sensational food. The food of dreams. It was so good. You have to try it.
Service was pretty efficient, we were left alone quite a bit at the beginning and end of the meal but the food once ordered came out quickly. Only thing was a couple of times plates were taken when they still had sauce I needed for dipping!
We were tucked in a table at the back which was nice because we had more space and less bustle. You do need to book in advance, preferably by a few days.