Copita (Soho): where tapas are as trusty as your former colleague

I’m a sucker for jamon iberico (£15) and Copita’s plate of acorn fed cured meat is a perfect sharing starter.

Smoky and chewy in all the right places, it’s great quality jamon. It’s also a rather nice non-awkward thing to eat for when your busy breaking the ice.

Tapas restaurants often have a bleak selection of veggie-friendly dishes but Copita has a relatively good assortment. I opted for the tenderstem broccoli, gremolata & manchego (£5.65) and was happy with how the broc was cooked - firm and crunchy but not entirely raw. The melted manchego was a nice touch, giving it a mild, salty and smoky taste.

I thought the smoked anchovies & pork crackling were a wee bit overpriced at £5.25 but the flavour on the anchovy was good. I just wish they had a bit more on the plate because three is an awkward number when there’s only two of you. (“You have it,” “No, you have it!” “Noooo you have iiiit!” - UGH!)

My original brunch buddy A and I used to go to La Tasca (don’t judge) just for mushroom croquettes which we called “magic mushrooms” because they were so addictive. They took it off their menu and we never quite returned. Seeing this on the menu made me miss A and our brunch shenanigans. Copita’s croquetas de champiñones (£2.50) tasted even better and I wish I could’ve shared it her.

The ajo blanco & beetroot (£4.50) was slightly too creamy for my liking but I loved the play on texture with the chopped nuts and candied beetroot. It may look like a small bowl but it’s enough to share.

The octopus, potato & smoked paprika (£12.50) was quite surprising in terms of portion size. Here it is in comparison to my iPhone 6.

In fairness, the tentacle was succulent and the smoky paprika flavour was well played. I didn’t care much for the mash it came with because the octopus was pretty good on its own. For a relatively big piece is was cooked perfectly.

Copita stands firm in the line of tapas restaurants peppering Soho. In a way, it’s like a former colleague you got along with when you worked together - you may not see them as much and you may have found new buddies at work, but it’s always pleasant when you find time to catch up (and gossip) over what’s new.