Best Restaurants In London: Toro Gordo

Miguel Caffarena

The True Taste Of Spain – Exciting new dishes, Christmas special offers and a friendly, vibrant atmosphere make Toro Gordo the perfect W6 local

Miguel Caffarena, owner of the Toro Gordo restaurant and bar on King Street, is going back to his roots this Christmas. ‘I wanted to add a festive flavour to our regular menu and so I’ve decided to include some Spanish seasonal classics that I know and love,’ he explains.

‘We’ll be serving traditional dishes, such as filled aubergine, lamb, beef and pork rolls and bomba de chocolate, as well as a dessert that my mother always used to make at home: fried banana with caramelised chocolate and sugar – that was my favourite.’

Toro Gordo is the ideal Christmas party venue, comfortably accommodating 50-plus people and with private areas for smaller groups, and Miguel is offering a superb value £27 set menu (for 10 diners or more) consisting of three tapas courses – his tapas are larger than usual – and a dessert.

Miguel opened Toro Gordo four years ago. ‘I live locally and my aim was to create a lively neighbourhood restaurant, somewhere that I’d like to go myself, whether for lunch, beer and tapas or for an evening meal.’

As his customers know, Miguel frequently refreshes the menu and he’s always keen to mix and match new culinary concepts. There is already a strong Japanese emphasis and the latest innovation is Hawaiian Spanish fusion in the form of Miguel’s own take on poke bowls (poke is a nutritious Hawaiian staple dish).

‘Every day we make five fresh poke options – tuna, salmon, chicken, beef and vegan – which are perfect for a delicious quick lunch or to take away. You can’t get poke bowls anywhere else in Hammersmith, so I’d love people to come and try them!’

With Spanish nights on Thursdays, when you can enjoy a drink and complimentary tapa for under £5, a superb wine list and sherries, sangrias and cocktails, Toro Gordo is the ideal place to meet friends, to relax after work or have a meal before a show at the Apollo or the Lyric Theatre. One thing is sure: you’ll enjoy authentic Spanish cuisine with an inventive twist.