Bar 61 Restaurant

Something’s fishy here, and it’s not the gambas’s al ajillo. Went here last Saturday night, first date night with my wife in a while. We wanted to get out of Balham/​Clapham, but not too far as we only had the baby sitter for a few hours. We chose Bar 61 based on the incredible 800+ 5 star reviews on trip advisor, and Streatham being not too far. Unfortunately, the food did not live up to expectations. The a la carte menu looks italian, the tapas menu looks traditional spanish. We order the patatas bravas, calamari, prawn in garlic sauce, ratatouille, meatballs, and a bottle of Cava. In summary, the service was excellent, the Cava was good, but the food was off the mark. Not traditional spanish, not 5 stars. I won’t go into details (such as the breaded calamari being luke warm and mushy), other than foodies beware.

From the moment I stepped in I felt as if I were magically teleported to a Spanish paradise. Sat at our table I asked my girlfriend to pinch me. Is this the costa brava or are we still in Streatham? I began to panic that I hadn’t bought any euros! Panic was immediately dispelled as our charming waiter catered to our every need. From my first mouthful of calamari I felt a carnival on my tongue. Lovely staff, great food. All at very reasonable price. The only thing left for me to do was to pay up and say buenos Dias to the staff, walking off into the sunset for my siesta, with a full belly and a broad smile of satisfaction of my face, burgundy red chorizo oil still dripping down my chin.

We had an absolutely stunning evening here. fantastic food — really excellent quality, delicious recipes cooked to perfection.
Phenomenal service too — our waiter, Tony, was excellent. We were made to feel cherished as customers — like old friends rather than first time visitors. Very friendly, very attentive and made some really helpful recommendations, including on wine. Speaking of which — even the house red is a really delicious, high quality wine.
All of this high quality didn’t come at an extortionate cost either. It was a very reasonable 3 course meal with wine for two.
Highly recommended and being as it’s so local, I will definitely be returning soon!

Great place to take friends for a fun casual night out. The food is excellent, and the owners make you feel like you’re part of their family.

I first used this place a very long time ago and was a regular here for about 10 years, this was before the management changed when it was a French –Italian place under the name of Brasserie Anton. The owners changed about 10 years back and I stopped going as I moved country a few times and I just hadn’t paid it a return visit until recently. The décor hasn’t changed at all, which is goo, d as it was put together quite well. Unfortunately, the food has. It is now billed as a Spanish /​Basque tapas bar. I’m not sure whether the current owner, who is Turkish, has ever been to Spain or the Basque Country, but he has certainly never tried tapas. The food here is not just bad, it’s shameful, it’s like the food has been crafted by someone that has seen pictures of tapas but not been able to ascertain the ingredients or recipe nor speak to anyone that has ever tasted it. Without exception it’s like each dish has journeyed from can to plate to microwave to your table. I was meeting a friend I hadn’t seen since I last lived around here and we ordered a lot. We also left a lot. It was just unremittingly depressing. Come here for a bottle of beer or glass of wine but skip the food, if you are really hungry grab a prepacked sandwich from a nearby convenience store and eat it when you get home. It only gets two stars for not changing the décor and the memories.

Small, family run, intimate tapas restaurant and bar located in Streatham Hill. Local and honest, this small bar is literally a touch of Spain in SW London! Ran by a Spanish family who do everything to make your stay (whether it be for a quick beer or a full dinner) comfortable and to make you feel welcome.
Drinks are fairly priced, with a very good wine /​champagne menu for the area. Beers are cold and they have a good selection.
Recommended food includes the garlic chicken — polo sopresa which comes served with fresh vegetables and potatoes. Veal, pasta, salads and fish also feature highly. Dinner for two, with wine and desert will easily come in under £50.