I tried the £120 chef’s menu at Michelin-starred Paco Tapas - and it was as brilliant as you might expect

It’s an odd concept in many ways, a Michelin star tapas restaurant, what with tapas known more for its humble roots, simple, inexpensive ways and accessibility.

But, perhaps not surprising given the stellar reputation of chef and owner Peter Sanchez-Iglesias and the Michelin star status of Paco Tapas, it’s one that works very well.

Taking the seasonal ingredients found in the local area and in and around Bristol, and then turning them into something authentically Spanish is the trick of the game at Paco Tapas.

Most of the dishes are cooked on a large coal-burning robata grill or British apple wood, giving them a distinct flavour and chargrilled look, as well as a bubbling hot presentation when they arrive on the small tables.

With a menu that ranges from appetisers at £4, small plates from £6.50 to meat and fish dishes that range from £14 to £120 for the 480 gram chateaubriand, there’s a choice of splashing out and really splashing out.

The chef’s menu is then on offer, too, which is a menu chosen entirely by the chef once you’ve let them know your dietary requirements and consists of 12 dishes ranging from small plates to heavier meat options.

The Chef’s Menu

So, why do we recommend the chef’s menu so much? Firstly, the obvious, it was absolutely delicious and an experience that felt special and somewhat one-off - exactly what you’d expect from a Michelin star restaurant.

Secondly, alleviating control and not knowing what we were having, although not for everyone, had an added level of excitement and authenticity. As non-fussy eaters, it worked really well, and I enjoyed the ability to discover more of the menu than I would have done had I tried it myself.

It’s an immersive experience, and one that you’ve got to throw caution to the wind and embrace entirely if you’re going to go for it. But, at £120, it’s worth pointing out that it didn’t come to much more than had we chosen the amount of dishes per person as were recommended.

So, take away the stress of having to decide and you’re in for a good night and the likelihood of trying something entirely new. Pair it with the sherry flight or one of the recommended bottles of wine, and you might be in for an even better night.

Although the dishes came out in a particular order, one that ran from appetisers to small plates, to larger dishes, I’m going to start with the standout favourite from our table.

The winning dish

The seared tuna was, quite frankly, delectable and the best tuna dish I’ve had in a restaurant for a long time. Cooked pink, so only slightly seared on both sides, the flavour shone through, as did the quality of the fish.

This came out at the same time as the leek and romesco, which again, was absolutely delightful. The leek is cooked so that the inner flesh peels away from the charred outside, and the homemade romesco sauce was perfectly smoked through the paprika, nutty and offset the tuna brilliantly.

You can use the tasty homemade breads that are brought earlier in the process to mop up any of the small saucy dishes once you’ve finished, too.

Tradition with a twist

Once we’d started working our way through the breads at the beginning of the chef’s menu, perfect cuts of chorizo landed on our table.

No sooner had we started tucking in and the Paco Tapas version of traditional Spanish croquettes arrived, too. Stuffed full of smokey and gooey goodness, with all the flavour absorbed from being deep-fried, they were delightful.

Next up, a traditional tapas favourite and a nostalgic favourite of my own, a small plate of boquerones. The small fresh white anchovies, doused in vinegar, are a popular appetiser in Spain and worked beautifully to cleanse the palate after such an indulgent and heavy croquette starter.

A well-crafted journey

Another welcome palate cleanser and refreshing intermediary dish was the tomato salad, or the ensalada de tomate. Jam-packed full of flavours, despite being a simple tomato salad, it felt as though the local ingredients really shone through here.

It’s this mixing up of flavours, lightness and indulgent heaviness that makes the chef’s menu so worth it - you’ll be surprised with everything you didn’t know you wanted at each moment.

When I wanted to be refreshed, I was. When we wanted to tuck into something heavier and meaty, it arrived at the table. There’s a real sense of craftsmanship and experience that goes into the Menu.

Next up, the largest garlic prawns both my partner and I have ever seen (and we’ve eaten at many a tapas restaurant both in Spain and the UK). The gambas al ajillo were not only huge, and therefore rather more meaty than usual prawns, but they were brilliantly tender too.

Alongside traditional patatas bravas, for the meat eaters, we were brought Duroc (an old breed of domestic pig) pork ribs.

To finish up the meat courses, we had the stuffed quail with sobrasada and dates. Sobrasada, a raw cured sausage from the Balearic Islands, was the perfect antidote to the taste and texture of the quail, while the dates gave a brilliant sweetness to complement the sausage.

The Chef’s Menu left us feeling as though there couldn’t possibly be any more food coming, before the next dish would surprise us and fill a gap we didn’t realise we had. Unlike many tasting menus, it doesn’t leave you still hungry or wanting more, and neither does it overfill you to the point of no return.

The happy ending came in the form of a perfectly crafted creme catalana. Flavoured with citrus peel and cinnamon, it finished the experience off on a sweet note.

Embrace the experience

One thing to note, you do come away smelling slightly smokey from the coal cooking technique, and the scents and smells that seep out from the open kitchen.

Honestly? Both my partner and I thought it was part of the charm, part of the feeling of being entirely immersed in an experience and that it brought a sense of being a part of the authentic hustle and bustle oozing from the Spanish kitchen.

So, in true Spanish form, camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente. They say the shrimp that sleeps is taken by the current. We say, you snooze, you lose. Get down to Paco Tapas - you won’t be disappointed.