Mesa Tapas & Bar
Last weekend, Grandma was in town and we took an opportunity to sneak out for some dinner but didn’t feel like venturing too far. In the past we have loved a bit of Tapas at Manna on North View, which has recently changed to Mesa Tapas & Bar….so we decided to give it a try! We were pleased to learn that Mesa is still under the Prego Restaurant & Bar umbrella with a revamped, compact menu and refurb with draped pendant lamps, booths and a central table giving it a stripped back cool vibe.
Initially, it seemed appropriate to try the cocktail menu, especially as some of the staff are experienced mixologists….so I started with a Montenegro Spritz which was a welcomed change to an Aperol Spritz. The Amaro Montenegro has an interesting blend of bittersweet, herbal, floral and fruit notes, and well regarded as a ‘craft’ liqueur. I was also offered the opportunity to order off the cocktail menu too. We also tried the tempronillo which was medium bodied red which was a great food accompaniment.
We started out by ordering the piri piri prawns, mesa pickles and the chorizo and tortilla pinxos, all a fantastic start with our drinks. Further along, we really were drawn to the pulpo a la Gallega, which is a beautiful Galician braised paprika octopus dish which is then browned and served with potatoes. The octopus was super tender and a pure delight! Along with that, we had some Padron peppers which are a great addition or just good on their own, and also some Syrian lentils with cumin yogurt…which were made even more delicious with the paprika potatoes mashed in for a thicker finish!
With a little room left, I ordered a Tarta de Santiago, a Galician almond cake with notes of orange. Hoping to have it all to myself, I was disappointed to have to get 2 folks, as Mr Fuss Free Foodie (who is a Bakewell tart fan!) realised that this was frangipane style heaven! I think I will need to return just to right this wrong!!
All in all an excellent evening, helped along by knowledgeable, down to earth staff with a side order of humour! We look forward to coming back again soon!
Have you been yet? Please show some love or likes if you fancy going too Lisa