Exceptional Spanish cooking

One of the big surprises of the past decade has been the rise and rise of Spain as a gastronomic force.

Spanish restaurants were always known for obsessively hunting down the very best ingredients, but recently they have somehow added flair, excitement and invention to the mix and it is very welcome.

Cambio de Tercio manages to showcase all these virtues at once.

The cooking is very good here.

You can start with a plate of 'Joselita Gran Reserva' - 100g of Iberico ham made from the famous pata negra acorn-fed pig, a very princely and pricey porker indeed.

Or there's a red tuna tartare that comes with pistachio mustard and salmon caviar - delicious and with several complementary textures; or sardines marinated in cider vinegar; or Serrano ham croquetas - crisp outside, melting within.

Or how about a new take on the famous Galician dish, at Cambio the octopus comes with three kinds of potato - purple potato crisps, cubes of new potato, and a silky mash, it's very good indeed.

Main courses are also inspired and inspiring - suckling pig with good crackling; monkfish dressed with a crisp sprinkling of deep-fried Iberico ham fat; a dish of oxtail cooked slowly and gently until the juices caramelise.

The wine list is a monster - take your pick of sixteen fine wines from the Ribera del Duero, or explore other lesser-known Spanish regions.

Service is formal and helpful, and the restaurant buzzes along until late - very much as it would in Spain.

Cambio De Tercio
Old Brompton Road, London, SW5 0LJ