London is awash with ‘authentic’ continental restaurants that sadly have been tailored to the local market, thus compromising the same authenticity. Will this Galician eatery go the same way? Was it any good? Time to find out...
Ideal for:
Sampling authentic rustic Spanish home cooking
Group dinners with mates
Diners on a budget
Ambience & Décor
The shabby interior should not detract from the proud heritage, culture and cuisine the Galician parade on entry with their football jerseys the most eye catching. Whilst the décor was blasé, the Galicians and Spaniards raucous joie de vivre was infectious. As the night wore on, the live music took over and the place really came alive. Such passion, vibrancy and joy.
Service
Despite the frantic nature of the night, service was very good. The joyous waiting staff always served with a smile and never felt neglected.
Food
Galicia has the Atlantic to the west and the Cantabrian Sea to the North. The marine heritage played a key part of the dishes. Started with traditional Croquetas Caseras de Jamon (left) (homemade ham croquettes). Perfectly fried with a thin, crispy coating the jamon was high quality. Although I have had better, it was a good start. The portion was also good value.
The Pulpo (right) starter is a traditional Galician dish. Tender octopus with olive oil, rock salt and smoked paprika. One morsel gives you the saltiness from the fish, sharpness from the olive oil and the spice from the wealth of paprika. The bed of crushed potatoes soaked up the excess oils and flavour, whilst giving some substance and earthiness to the dish. All components were cooked to perfection and complemented each other. The generous portion was appreciated.
The final starter of Fritos de Rape (Fried Monkfish) was a tad bland. Despite the monkfish being cooked well, the rest of it was a bit vanilla. The sprinkle of lemon was much needed.
The Entrecot a la plancha (Grilled sirloin) (left) had an enormous portion presenting great value for money. To my amazement not only was the steak well seasoned but cooked evenly to perfection. I have been to many steakhouses who would not be able to pull this off. The accompaniment of rosemary chips were beautifully crisped on the outside and fluffy on the inside. What an amazing dish, and one I would return for.
The hake dish of Merluza A La Gallega (Grilled Fresh Hake Galician Style) (right) was disappointing. The Galician saffron sauce was too strong and overwhelming. The hake was overcooked, devoid of flavour and bone dry. To compound the issue, the punchy notes of the sauce did not pair well with the subtle tones of the fish. This dish felt like a total car crash.
Big rustic portions at affordable prices make this attractive on a budget. The hake dish sadly cost this eatery top marks. From the punters, to the service staff, to the memorabilia, this restaurant is as genuine as they come and a fantastic ambassador for Galicia. A- Rating.
Photos of Centro Galego de Londres and more can be found on Instagram here.
Final grade: A-
Final comment: Authentic, rustic, delicious Spanish cooking on a budget.
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