Ember Yard

The energy of this place felt good. The octopus was very tasty. The cheese board and the charcuterie were tasty and offered a good variety.
I understand it’s tapas, so I normally wouldn’t complain about portion size, but six slivers of cured pork for 9£?! I know we live in a world of 15£ mixed drinks, but cmon, add a few more slivers eh?! The wine was fairly priced.
The server was pretty good. He was attentive and very personable; offered suggestions on food and drink too. I forgot I ordered an item and recalled an hour later that I never received it. Not sure if I paid for it or not, but I know for certain I ordered it. Oh well. The atmosphere, energy, and flavors made up for the rough spots.

Let me start by saying, the food was actually good. Why am I not giving it a 4? It’s really because of the very impersonal atmosphere. Felt rushed from when we arrived and untill we left. I am a sucker for tapas, we ordered in the Jamon (ofcourse) the iberico ribs, smoked and grilled chicken, padron peppers and the courgette flower… the food was coming out in a very good pace, tasted good and looked very fresh. BUT again, the stressfull feeling of that you have to eat quick and leave quick was not nice… When i visit London again I will give it another go, its also very close to my office so perfect.

A Foodie’s Must Visit!
This place was packed and it’s understandable why! As this place is tapas I’d highly suggest stepping in for lunch rather than dinner as it is a bit pricey and portions are on the small side understandably.
The quality and taste of food impeccable. Presentation isn’t stellar but taste compensates. Price = steep.
The cocktail drinks are lovely yet very strong! Very nice. The wait for the drinks were a bit long though but staff were very friendly. Great atmosphere. We came here as a group of 4 and ordered a few things and shared everything with 2 drinks each which rang us about 40 gbp each. Def pricey and not very filling but everything we did have was lovely.
As I said; it’s a Foodie’s must go but with the prices you’d definitely not make it a regular hotspot

I tend to rate things based on value rather than pure quality, thus my rating of Ember Yard is mixed. Ambiance: good. Food: Delicious (especially the vegetables). But the price! This place is extremely expensive for the amount/​quality of food you get. I half-​anticipated this because it’s tapas, but between four we ordered like 6 things and ended up spending 30 pounds per person?! That being said, everything we had was great, especially the seafood. I like the variety of food that is offered and kind of understand what this restaurant is trying to do. It’s not unique, but it’s a solid choice for a) a nice date b) business lunch c) a relaxed meal out with friends. I wouldn’t come here if you were looking for an affordable meal or somewhere that’s doing something really interesting.

The weather today was horrendous!!! Rain rain and buckets of it!!! Welcome to the UK! This was the nearest place for lunch and we hopped right in. Luckily they had a table for us as we didn’t have a reservation…
Seated on the comfy sofa, overlooking the outside where I could keep an eye on the rain. It’s a bit like Señor Ceviche in carnaby, but 10 times better! The lunch menu is the same as the dinner menu. Today I tried new things like the roasted pork ribs — wooooooooooow, meaty, juicy, cooked so well, that chargrilled flavour gets me everytime! The burrata was ahmayzing, it is a cold starter and comes with these thin wafer like crackers to dip in, so good with the padron peppers! I love this place and the service is exceptional. My cocktail was delish too, not too heavy for lunch, very drinkable, notable flavours of the citrus with elderflower and blood orange — Yummy!!!
I am looking forward to trying their other branches, the décor inside is modern, classy, not too pretentious, chilling, etc. Although you do kind of need to give the table back after 2.5 hours, having said that, they dont rush you out the door. Bill came within minutes alongside the card machine. They even take your coats for you, so you’re not sitting on it or having it on your lap — which is a plus in my book! Very attentive, they give great recommedations with their food and drinks.

Great atmosphere at Emberyard
I had the calcot special sunday menu which was very enjoyable. Hightlight of the meal was the sirloin steak cooked perfectly. Got to say the best steak I have ever hard. The idea of the menu is for sharing. Definitely worth a comeback for me but I am not sure when since the pricetag is a bit high for me!

Their Mediterranean tapas are Italian-​proof. Loved their ricotta stuffed courgette flower, while all of their meat dishes are top notch: try either the brisket or the pork ribs and you won’t be disappointed. Their pork fat chips with chorizo ketchup are incredible and so is their Spanish cheese board. And don’t even get me started on the semi freddo! Loved this place to bits.

Fantastic! Ambience is cozy and delightful. Food is beautifully prepared and presented. Perfect for a late afternoon light meal or dinner. Will definitely be returning.

One of my absolute favorites in London! I have been twice now and while it is a bit pricey, everything I have had has been nothing short of mouthwateringly delicious. The staff is also friendly and the ambiance is great. So glad I stumbled upon this gem while walking through Soho!

Showed up with no reservation on a Thursday night with a group of 5 and were able to be sitted. Staff made accommodations for us very easily. We got one of the high tables with very comfy seats. We got marvellous wine for 28 pounds (good find!), and a never ending list of dishes! We tried the burrata, the salad, the meat board (italian), cheese board (spanish), the ribs, the slidders, the delicious marinated steak, the sweet potatoes, the potato mash with garlic (!), the octopus (can’t remember actually?), and two deserts: pineapple ice cream and pannacotta. It took us some time to go through everything but we did it and it was delicious. The place is bright, no too noisy, staff is there all the time to assist, and the food was very very good. No disappointment what so ever, really. Best choices were probably the marinated steak, sweet potato and the burrata and charcuterie board. Less impressive one was the cheese board, kind of small. Go big while there, it is worth the experience.

Lively place for a drinks and tapas stop with the girls — at the pricier end given we didn’t have a full meal, but it’s funny how a few glasses of prosecco can help with that… The majority of the gang was veggie so we basically ordered all the veg dishes on the menu to share. As you’d expect, there’s a lot of tasty sounding meat and fish dishes on the menu too so I’ll have to go back to try those, though what the veggie dishes lacked in choice they made up for in flavour. The individual honey-​drizzled courgette flowers stuffed with goat’s cheese were a slightly ridiculous £4.50 each but probably the most delicious thing I ate all week. Closely followed by the parsnip-​buttermilk chips with manchego, which were so good we had to re-​order them (twice!). We also scoffed a salad, padron peppers, creamy burrata and rosemary potatoes for a carb fix. We were still craving something sweet at the end so shared their flourless dark chocolate cake with blood orange marmalade ice cream between 6 of us, and it disappeared in about 10 seconds flat — the burst of orange was the perfect partner to the fudgey-​ness of the cake. I should have got one to myself.
The place was packed out on a Friday evening and I did feel a bit rushed by the waitress, but such is the bustling vibe of the place I suppose. Best to book ahead — we were seated at a table downstairs which gave one side some great people-​watching and my side a tempting view into the wine cellar. I’d probably go back sooner were it not for the prices, which put this more into treat territory or a special date night.

Really, really good. We were a group of 15 in the private room (which is a small section at the side downstairs).
There were a few mix ups though over drinks and food. We told specific numbers but were catered for one too many which we had to pay for at the end and I kept asking for drinks orders to be taken but no one did. The food was outstanding though and totally made up for it. Would definitely go again but in a smaller group. The staff were excellent.

The stars say it all, I was not a fan of Ember Yard. Based on the reviews, I expected alot better, the Company reputation seemed to speak to higher standards than this. Let me explain:
My drink was lovely Cherry Popper, but why put a cherry on the glass which stops the drinker drinking from the glass? No thought.
The food was a mixed bag; the good? The chicken leg was grilled nicely on the outside, tasty on the inside, the almond garnish ruined it and was unnecessary. The 2 accompanying sauces were nice. We ordered 2 portions of this, 1 portion came severely undercooked.
The ribs were tasty but not cooked gently enough to fall off the bone. The accompanying celeriac purée was lovely, at nearly a tenner for 2 ribs, it should have been perfect.
Then it went downhill…
The winter greens came with chestnuts when we asked for none and when they were cooked again, they came without salt.
The chips tasted liked frozen chips with ground down pork crackling sprinkled over them, again, 2 entities which didn’t connect.
Oh dear, the cuttlefish was, to repeat a previous review, tough, chewy, flavourless once you get past the charcoal, weak gremolata and undercooked pumpkin.
We ordered onglet too but didn’t get it.
The only interestingly admirable service element was the wait between the plates arriving, they seemed to wait for you to finish one dish before bringing the next, which led us to eat slowly, not knowing when the next plate would arrive.
Service was slow, uninteresting, uninviting and mediocre. One male waiter seemed more willing to help than others.
The restaurant itself is boring, dull and characterless.
Yes I really didn’t like this place, I felt let down and that it was resting on the rest of the Group’s reputation. It can’t be based on this branch, that’s for sure. Avoid.

Nice atmosphere but mediocre food. Burrata was fairly dry. Cuttlefish overlooked and ribs grisly. Not sure what the hype on Eater is about. With all the good joints in soho, go elsewhere.

I booked in here with a few friends to have a weeknight dinner. The restaurant put a 1.5 hour limit on the table, which seemed miserly.
Three of us arrived on time, and were escorted downstairs to our table. The best way to describe the décor would be ‘nice’. Dimly lit on purpose, dark woods, vaguely modern Italian-​Spanish-​themed …if that’s a thing. Nothing particularly memorable or to shout about.
We ordered tapas style. And we ordered a lot. We ordered, like, the whole menu. And then ordered some more. One of my friends got a cocktail that arrived smoking, smelling of peat or birch or some crap. I think the burning wood inflated the price — I’m not the kind of person who would be keen on paying for a burning piece of wood in my cocktail. No, I ordered a bottle of cheap wine.
A month or so on from my visit, the only thing that I remember was how good the wine was for the price. I don’t remember any of the food despite ordering a shedload of it. Just the wine.
Take that as you will.

So far, this has been my favorite meal while being in England. Absolutely wonderful every step of the way.
We got a fantastic table booth on the window on the top floor (I wouldn’t suggest sitting at a table on the lower level because it’s in the basement and doesn’t have window views). The décor was a bit trendy, rustic, and urban. Very inviting. Simple but classy.
We had great service (only complaint for some could be that they have an auto service charge) Our service was attentive, friendly, and helpful. The food arrived very fast in «tapa style.»
We ordered a variety of tapas. We stuck to fish and vegetarian items. The Flatbread was simple but delicious (we put in a second order bc it was so yummy). The burrata and eggplant on foccacia was great… especially the burrata. The grilled octopus with marinated tomatos was so delicious we ordered it again. The Brussel sprout gratin was pretty good (not the best compared to our other picks). The fish carpaccio with pomegranate was pretty tasty but quite small so not an absolute necessity to order. The garlic potatoes were very yummy. The grilled seabass was quite tasty.

Continuing on my love affair with all things tapas we went to Ember Yard on spec on Sunday evening. They advised they were very busy but managed to fit us in.
The food was fantastic. Really really good. We had the belly pork which was divine. So tender and delicious, my mouth is watering thinking about it. We also had a number of smaller tapas — the steamed and chargriled octopus which was really good too, the garlic and thyme ratta potatoes, the extremely moreish Burrata with Chargrilled Aubergines and the Brussel Sprout, Celeriac and Swiss Chard Gratin for which we ordered a second helping.
The service was quick and the staff were helpful and friendly and happy to advise on food choices. The prices are not the cheapest but the quality is so good it is good value. The wine was also lovely and we managed to put away two bottles between three of us (hiccup!).
Overall this was a great place to go and I will happily go back again.

It is a Italian /​Spanish taps — it is not authentic tapas but it is a rather crafted tapas place. The setting is casual but nice big tables for a soho standard and very nice lighting. It is part of a chain of restaurants which own salt yard, dihesa, and opera tavern — very well experienced tapas operator in London.
The food selection is not necessary wide but most dishes are very good — specifically, grilled iberico pork with jamon butter, smoked turbot, arancini were very good.
Having been to all other tapas restaurants they own, I like this one the best — I believe the food is tastiest.

Walked into this place on a Saturday afternoon and there was no problem getting a table. It is a massive place – tables and bar seating upstairs and a massive downstairs.
Service was good and wines were excellent.
I love the theme of the grill. Enjoyed octopus, chorizo and a nice bavette. Parsnip fries were really good and liked the heirloom tomato salad although one of the tomatoes was a bit mealy. They focus on flavor and I thought they did a good job and had some innovative dishes instead of the usual Spanish fare.
It is a beautiful restaurant and the fact that it is big is appealing as most of the restos in Soho are so small and require a long wait. But as a result it loses some Soho vibe.

I usually do like seasonal changing menu to add a difference to each dining experience but of course there is always a risk of your favourite dishes disappearing and replaced by not so well executed dishes. Still their highlight dishes that did remain did not fail us and as good
I do love the vibe downstairs at Ember Yard, dark wooden décor with a really nice warm glow from the lighting giving it a very romantic feel to it– something I didn’t get from their sister branch Salt Yard.
We started with some Grilled Flatbread with Honey, Thyme and Smoked Butter. As simple as it sounds I did really enjoy this dish, warm, fluffy and comforting. But I also think taste is acquired depending on how much you can tolerate the bitterness of the charred burnt parts as mum wasn’t a great fan .
The octopus was just how I remembered it and a dish I’m glad they keep as a stable on their menu. Nicely steamed till soft and then char grilled for that nice smoky taste and texture difference on the outside. It was paired nicely with soften peppers and tomatoes for a lovely succulent sweetness and a creamy garlic dip to off set some flavours.
There was no way i could miss the Parsnip-​Buttermilk Chips with Manchego and just like my last visit they were superbly done. They were deliciously hot and sticky, savoury and sweet. They were slightly firmer than the usual potato but still a lovely soft texture to bite into with nice crunchy bits where the smaller parts and cheese were fully fried. So moorish and fragrant.
Mum absolutely loved the lamb as she enjoyed things with a bite, if you love your meat falling of your bone then this dish isn’t one for you. It’s for those who love to use their hands and teeth to pull away the lovely juicy meat off the bone. In return we got lovely sweet succulent medium rare meat to dig into. It was paired nicely with a lovely herby Salsa Verde sauce and roasted aubergine to add a more softer texture against it which together made it a delight to enjoy.
Next came another lovely meat perfect dish, the Grilled Ibérico Presa. After using all that jaw muscle on the lamb it was nice to enjoy the tenderness and sweetness of such fine pork. It tasted like no other pork I’ve had before, effortless to cut, clean bites and made even more mouth melting with the Whipped Jamón Butter.
Sadly the burger couldn’t deliver the same satisfaction being too salty. I also found the meat a bit too coarse for my liking. It was definitely better than a lot of burgers I’ve had not one to make a lasting impression.
I definitely think Ember Yard succeeds best at delivering wholesome slabs of meat. The next dish is probably not for those scared of fat on meat and very health conscious but I really enjoyed the Ibérico Pork Ribs. The fat really penetrated across the meat making it incredibly juicy and tender, sweetened by an indulgence sweet quince glaze and a smoky charred finished. To complete the melting sensation it was paired with creamy celeriac purée underneath. This one is definitely for those who like meat falling off the bone.
Unfortunately things went slightly downhill with the next two dishes. The smoked Butternut Squash almost had it’s life sucked out of it. It was so overcooked it became so dense and flat, edges burnt making it very bitter if you eat anywhere near the edge. which wasn’t much if you leave it out.
Annoying the cuttlefish was removed out the dish and replaced with it was the Chargrilled Squid with Pancetta, Peas and Chilli. Sadly the dish was too bland that the only thing I tasted from the squid was the smoke from the grill. The flavours of the peas ended up dominating the dish and I dion’t feel the natural bitters in peas pairs well with seafood at all. It was needing for something more citrusy and sweeter to bring out the freshness of the squid.
Luckily all finished well with the cheesecake made with beautifully whipped cheese, airy and smooth. It had a nicely balanced sweet citrus taste which made it a lovely light dessert to finish on. The base was nice and crumbly to fall apart with the cake and finished with a nice strong zing of flavour from the Sicilian Orange on top.
I do love Ember Yard. A very well done restaurant in the heart of the West End and a great place for dining after a long day of shopping. It makes you forget how busy as it is up there. Prices aren’t cheap so it might be better off getting more people in your group so you can order more to share as the dishes are made more for sharing then one plate meals. Even the burgers are more like slider’s size. Still sharing is caring so I highly recommend this place.