Lunch / ££ / 8/10

Baresca isn’t new to the cities tapas offering but I have visited more times in the last couple of years than I had in the previous 7 it has been open and so looking for an alternative to a sunday lunch while in town we headed there. Tapas restaurants meet a couple of my ‘nice to have’ criteria immediately (likely to serve nice fizzy wine/can serve a small snack to a 3 course meal) and Baresca also serves families really well. On the Sunday we visited there was an equal mix of couples and families with children dining.

On arrival (having not booked) the host asked another table that had just been seated if they would mind relocating to the window so we could slot the pram in next to the table. I inwardly cringed – hating my reproductive decisions putting anyone out in any way. But the world is full of kind and generous people and the couple at the table happily moved so we could fit the pram in. A warmth washed over me and I thanked everyone involved at least 3 more times than was necessary. On this Sunday Baresca were offering a ‘sunday lunch’ option with a fixed price that involved 2 roast meat options with a spanish twist, patatas bravas and a vegetable side. I was tempted but The Northerner wanted tapas so we ordered from the main menu and conversation turned to why we went to Baresca so often.

Much like anywhere you visit regularly we have ‘favourite’ dishes and proceeded to order them all and added a flatbread to ‘expand our horizons’. The flatbread was nice but the ratio of pesto was off, it overpowered the subtle cheese and thin bread. The tomatoes were the star, sweet and seasoned well, something that shouldn’t be as rare a phenomenom as it is. The meatballs were soft and had a lovely spicing, finished well by the grated cheese on top they were my favourite dish. The patatas bravas were elevated by a rich tomato stew with a perfect amount of heat and crispy, fluffy potatoes.

The fish tacos could have done with a few more leaves but the fish was perfectly cooked and the pickled onions added the right amount of vinegar to cut through the rich mayo. You can get more authentic taco’s elsewhere (as evidenced by the taco shell) but you cannot fault the flavour of these and they don’t end up all over you when you eat them.

The salmon tikka had the powdery crunch of a dry rub but this didn’t overwhelm the fish, again this could have done with a few more leaves but I could just as easily criticise our ordering (complete lack of vegetable dishes) and the menu’s lack of a salad option. The sweet and sticky crispy PX beef has been on the menu since the restaurant opened and is as good today as it has always been. I am baffled at how a tapas resturant (along with others in the city) can make this dish better than most native restaurants. The only element of the dish that I can see changed is the portion sizes are slighty smaller – not something I have an issue with but this might put off hungrier dinners.

After we finished the final part of the ‘Why do we come to Baresca so much?’ question was answered, the dishes are all simple, taste great and the whole experience is EASY. Fancy a drink at the bar with a few olives? EASY. Sunday lunch without a booking? EASY. Weather a bit warmer and want to sit outside – EASY. Kids in tow and want a pizza flatbread and chips without subjecting parents to crap food – EASY. Baby changing on the same floor as the restaurant with a toilet for parents as well – EASY. And I like easy.