The story
José sits at 104 Bermondsey Street in London's SE1 district, a Spanish tapas bar that The Good Food Guide rated Good in 2026. Chef José Pizarro opened his first restaurant on this street in 2011, and the kitchen still works with simple, traditional tapas. Expect a small room, a counter, and plates that come out one after another.
Pizarro's approach is fresh, seasonal produce and dishes kept simple. He encourages home cooks to make several smaller plates, and the menu here follows the same idea. The kitchen is open, which Pizarro describes as making guests feel like they are in his home.
The classics are all there: a definitive egg tortilla, punchy croquetas and pan con tomate. The more specialist plates are worth ordering too, including earthy lentils with chorizo, squid dressed with jalapeño-spiked pico de gallo, and fried goat's cheese with honey. For dessert, cream catalana is the sweet finish.
Most people eat standing at the counter, with only a few seats for early arrivals. The mood is lively and homely. The wine list covers Spanish regions and can be tasted by the glass, and the bar also pours G&T, rosada spritz and bottled cerveza.
Recognition
Details
History
The location may be Bermondsey rather than the backstreets of Barcelona, but there’s something ruggedly Spanish about this pint-sized, no-bookings tapas joint from celeb chef José Pizarro. Expect to queue and expect to be hemmed in once you get through the door; it’s usually standing room only around the counter (although there are a few baggable seats for early birds). Your reward for any discomfort is a boisterous down-home vibe and a stonkingly good line-up of Spanish wines and sherries, plus a chalkboard of proper tapas plates with ne’er a dud in sight. All the classics are present and correct, from definitive egg tortilla and punchy croquetas to pan con tomate, but it would be a sin to ignore some of the more specialist platefuls – perhaps earthy lentils with chorizo, squid dressed with jalapeño-spiked pico de gallo or the sweet-savoury temptations of fried goat’s cheese with honey. If more sweetness is called for, look no further than the ubiquitous cream catalana. The wine list is an oenphile’s tour of the Spanish regions, with everything available by the glass for inquisitive tasting; otherwise, goblets of G&T, rosada spritz and bottles of cerveza help to banish any thoughts of mañana .
Location
Facebook
Instagram
X