La Mancha

Reviews

• Good value for lunch

  I went to La Mancha for a late lunch with friends, having favourably remembered it from a visit a few years back. Arriving at about 2pm on a Saturday, it was pretty quiet the whole time we were there, but that was fine by us as we were able to create our own atmosphere!We weren't initially happy with our table, which was too close to the open front door and traffic noise, so we moved further towards the back of the restaurant with no fuss or bother. Staff were polite and attentive, not only directing me to the ladies when I asked but checking that I'd found them okay when I reappeared. Meanwhile Amy had spotted that most tapas on the menu were available at half price at lunchtimes, so we decided to be kind to our bank balances and stick to those.But how many dishes? Always a problem with tapas!After much beard scratching and narrowing of eyes, we decided to select two each to start with then go for more if we were still hungry. Thus I opted for a squid dish with Patatas Bravas (potato with a spicy tomato sauce), Mish went for ribs and an aubergine concoction, and Amy plumped for olives and Chorizo Rosario. Plus bread for three. This quantity turned out to be perfect and all went down very nicely indeed, with the Chorizo Rosario unanimously voted the star dish.Intrigued by the notion of coconut ice cream served in a half coconut shell, Mish alone went on to order dessert. (Gosh! Has she never been to an Indian restaurant?) Not exactly ground-breaking desserts available here, then, obviously.The bill, which included a couple of glasses of wine, three soft drinks, and a 12.5% gratuity charge, came to £13 each - but don't forget that this included half price tapas.Very nice, I'd go again. But stay well away from any garlic cloves you may find in the olives.

  Lacrimosa
  Review Date: 09/10/2008 Report review
• Spanish in Putney

  I was meeting some girlfriends for dinner at a bar/restaurant in Putney call Louhannah. I had been looking for somewhere new to try, and when I came across their cool website and affordable menu it sounded perfect. Small problem - when we arrived we discovered Louhannah had closed down!Oh well, what could we do but drown our sorrows with a cocktail at the restaurant next door, called La Mancha. Turns out La Mancha Spanish Tapas Bar & Restaurant is a bit of a Putney institution, and was nice and busy on this chilly Monday night.After perching at the bar for a while, we moved to a table at the rear of the restaurant. Now there was a big decision to be made - should we get a load of Tapas to share, or order individual meals. After much deliberation, only JM ordered from the Tapas menu, two dishes, along with a green salad (which she wasn't too thrilled about). I opted for the Jarreta de Cordero (Shank of lamb served with a white beans casserole), as did CV, while AJ was a bit more adventurous with the Zarzuela de Pescado Y Mariscos (Casserole of mussels, prawns, monkfish, squids and sea bass with lobster sauce). The meals were ok quality and size, and pretty good value. Service was friendly enough, though I felt a bit ignored towards the end of the meal. There was a good atmosphere though, and it turned out to be a decent substitute venue for our girly dinner.

  Sue
  Review Date: 09/12/2007 Report review
• Ole

  Spanish tapas restaurant close to Putney bridge. The food is fine but I did not like the ambience. A bit too business oriented and a lack of autheticity in spite of the staff being all natives. Good choice if you are in the neighborhood, but not worth traveling across London. A bit expensive too.

  Cedric
  Review Date: 04/11/2007 Report review