It's outdoor food festival season again and there's one coming to the South Bank (near Tower Bridge) that we'd definitely recommend based on previous visits. Rioja Tapas Fantasticas is a celebration of Spanish Rioja and food and features a line-up of some of London's top Spanish restaurants.
Running on the weekend of the 15th and 16th June, entry to the event is free - so it's well worth popping along to if you're in the area. Once there, you can buy a tasting glass for £3.50 along with four tokens to exchange for Rioja wines. Alongside this, there's a load of tapas - the most expensive of which is just a fiver - to eat your way through at the event from some of London's best Spanish restaurants. We've got some of the highlights:
- Bar Tozino: Plato de jamón or queso
- Barcelona Tapas Bar: Pincho de Vieras con Pancetta y Tomates Secos en Arroz Negre – Pan fried scallops with cured smoked pancetta from Extremadura and sun dried tomatoes on Catalan black rice with squid
- Bar Y Tapas: Montadito de morcilla e pimento – spanish black pudding with piquillo pepper and confit tomato
- Boquería: Pincho Moruo – Marinated pork kebab
- Camino Restaurant and Bar: Chorizo a la parrilla with rocket salad – pinchito style on bread
- Cigala: Arroz Negra - black rice with Squid
- Churros Garcia: Churros and Chocolate
- Donostia Social Club: Truffled wild mushrooms with fried quails eggs & PX sherry reduction
- El Cantara Soho: Chocos fritos - deep fried cuttlefish with a light crispy batter served with aioli
- Hispania: Andalusian Salmorejo with quail’s egg and ibérica ham shavings
- Ibérica: Tosta de asparagus, Manchego, onion confit & truffle oil
- Jamón Jamón: Paella Valenciana - with chicken, rabbit & runner beans
- José: Gambas al ajillo and Salmorejo y bacalao
- Number 22: Chicken and chorizo paella
There's loads more on offer from all the restaurants at the event. You can find them at Potters Fields Park, Southwark, London SE1 2AA. Find out more at their website.
Summer festivals for foodies
Love music, but are pretty fussy about the food you get at festivals? Here's our round-up to the best collaborations popping up at music festivals round the UK this summer. Read our foodies festival guide.
