IT HAS been a long time since I’ve enjoyed Spanish tapas.

I used to frequent La Tasca in Basingstoke regularly before its closure, and prior to this I lived a five-minute walk away from an independent tapas restaurant in London where I enjoyed regular Friday night feasts with friends.

There has been a gap in the market in Basingstoke since La Tasca closed in 2016.

Now, thankfully, Spanish celebrity chef Omar Allibhoy has noticed this and launched Tapas Revolution in the town, opening inside Festival Place.

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Having enjoyed tapas in Spain on various holidays, many tapas-style restaurants in this country fail to replicate the cuisine authentically. There is no risk of this at Tapas Revolution with Omar at the helm.

The 38-year-old restaurant owner and cookbook author was born in Madrid and is passionate about the cuisine from his home-country after learning to cook with his mother when he was just five-years-old.

When he came to the UK, Omar said he was “shocked by the lack of Spanish restaurants”, adding: “I decided it was time to do something about it and so my Tapas Revolution began.”

He opened his first restaurant at Westfield Shepherd’s Bush in 2010, going on to open another nine over the following 12 years.

The chef, who worked at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze in 2008 and who has appeared on various television shows including This Morning, The One Show and Masterchef, hopes people in Basingstoke can enjoy the real taste of Spanish tapas when they visit his newest restaurant.

When I met him at his Festival Place restaurant, he was keen to showcase the tapas menu, which includes the famous small dishes found in every bar in Spain, meant to be shared.

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Those on the menu are typical of those you would find in Omar’s hometown of Madrid, as well as a choice of paella pans, served for two people.

Omar ordered a selection of six tapas dishes and a paella for my dad and I to share.

When they arrived, the small dishes looked beautiful displayed on pretty, colourful plates, with the feast filling the table.

There is something very sociable about sharing food and enjoying the same tastes as those sat round the table, meaning you can talk about the flavours together and share the culinary experience.

We enjoyed Croquetas De Jamon, deep-friend cured ham and bechamel croquettes; Torreznos con Mojo – crispy slow-cooked pork belly drizzled with a herb mojo verde and a sweet and spicy sauce; Pulpo a la Gallega – sliced octopus layered on baby new potatoes dressed with sweet smoked paprika and extra virgin olive oil; Pimientos De Padron – fried sweet green peppers from Galicia topped with Maldon sea salt and cider reduction; Pan con Tomate – toasted bread, garlic, tomato and olive oil; and Boquerones – pickled anchovies served with a herb mojo verde and rich garlic and tomato dressing.

I would never have ordered anchovies had Omar not suggested this dish, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Rather than salty, as I had expected, the pickled anchovies instead tasted fresh and deliciously herby.

The croquets were the perfect combination of crispy on the outside and creamy and oozy in the middle, while the octopus was delightfully tender.

Some of the dishes at Tapas Revolution are incredibly simple with few ingredients. However, the careful selection of the finest produce and the expertise of the chefs in their preparation make the individual components of each dish really shine.

The Pan con Tomate is the perfect example of this. I remember vividly a trip to Catalonia sampling this dish and making it myself at the table; rubbing the garlic and tomato on the bread before drizzling olive oil over the top. It was so simple yet so incredibly delicious.

That trip was almost 10 years ago and since then I have never been anywhere that has replicated the same flavour or been able to achieve it myself. Until now.

One bite into the toasted bread at Tapas Revolution and the fresh tomato flavour took me back to that moment abroad.

The pork belly was equally delightful, with just the right kick in the spicy sauce while the green peppers were very morish, the sweet cider reduction tasting almost like honey.

The Paella Valenciana with chicken wings, green beans, artichokes, red peppers and rosemary arrived a short while later. Paellas are cooked to order and so take up to 25 minutes to arrive.

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We certainly didn’t need a paella as well as tapas but sampled a spoonful each before passing back to the kitchen to package up to take home.

There was a satisfying crispy layer on the bottom and, being served in the iconic steel pan at the table, added to the authenticity and wow-factor. 

Along with my takeaway paella I was given a box of Churros con Chocolate to take home, as we were both too full for dessert.

I hope the people of Basingstoke support Tapas Revolution - it’s great to see Spanish cuisine back on offer in the town.