Food review: Tapas delivers taste of Med at La Casita in Ironbridge
The nights are growing darker, and longer, and colder. As we head towards the deep mid-winter, thoughts turn to big, flavoursome dinners that help to insulate us from the cooler temperatures.
And yet, in Ironbridge, there’s a restaurant that offers a ray of sunshine – albeit, figuratively. La Casita brings a taste of the Med to this small corner of Northern Europe.
Offering freshly prepared Spanish dishes for aficionados of tapas, or to those who want to try something new, La Casita is a place where Sevillian chic meets Shropshire hospitality.
It’s located in one of the county’s prettiest towns, a place that is full to the brim each summer, as tourists swarm, but that relies on local trade come winter.
The objective is simple, to flood the senses with the essence of Spain. There’s Spanish music, Spanish art, a stripped-back interior that is redolent of southern Europe.
There’s also a degree of Spanish charm. The warmth of staff who were on duty was notable on a blowy winter’s evening, when I called in for supper. Because the abiding characteristic of most tapas bars in Spain is passion. Passionate people run them, passionate chefs staff them, and the menu features carefully curated ingredients that come from farmers and producers who are passionate about their vocation.
In Spain, there’s the hurly burly ambience generated by people who are all about having a good time and living life to the full. And so it goes at La Casita, a passion project owned and run by an independent team that wants to make its mark during uncertain times.
It fits in well with the gastronomic offering of the picturesque market town. Ironbridge doesn’t boast the high-falutin’ restaurants that are synonymous with Ludlow and, to a lesser extent, Shrewsbury. It has a welcoming and hard-working cohort that offers affordable pleasures, that provide food at sensible prices, and that make going-out a regular and affordable pleasure for many local residents.
The menu at La Casita is simple, more than anything, from necessity. A restaurant that offers tapas from £3.25 per plate, to no more than £6.25, doesn’t have the remit to purchase slices of A5 wagyu beef or similar high-end ingredients.
Instead, it’s all about offering affordable, value-for-money dishes that are fun and easy on the palate.
So, for instance, fried potatoes are a snip at £3.50, prawns in chilli are just as much of a bargain at £6.25, while fried breaded pork loins with alioli are somehow less than a fiver, at £4.95.
Working within those parameters, La Casita manages to punch above its weight as it offers well-seasoned, simply prepared food that puts a smile on the face, rather than leaving a lasting impression or creating memories that last a lifetime.
The bread served with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic dip was fine if a little indistinct. But with prices as low as these, maybe that’s to be expected?
The olive oil and balsamic were fine, though there’s no substitute for quality and while the prices were low, the quality felt a little bit lacking.
A platter of cheese and biscuits was reasonable. The biscuits were water biscuits, and the like, which were served with Serrano ham and triangles of Manchego.
The kitchen’s job is to excite and tantalise, and the offering felt slightly underwhelming at times.
Whitebait with ajilo hit the spot. The fried, breaded fish were cooked until crisp and they dunked into a more-ish and indulgent dip that added a layer of luxury to the humble main ingredient. They were served generously and had a pleasant bite.
The fourth and final course was a simple bowl of mushrooms with garlic, white wine, and blue cheese.
The fourth and final course was a simple bowl of mushrooms with garlic, white wine, and blue cheese. The flavours were big and robust, perfect for this time of year, as the earthiness of the mushrooms found an ally in the strong-tasting cheese. The garlic and white wine added subtlety to a pleasant dish, that was the stand-out of the four.
Service was great throughout. La Casita has an engaging manner and was evidently keen to please.
And that determination to do well was the abiding quality. It goes happily along the bargain dishes route, sometime offering ingredients that could be considered middle of the road, rather than those that leave a lasting memory.
It’s probably a sensible choice to make at a time when money is scarce, demand is low, and business people have to stay afloat through the harsh winter months, and not just in the warmer times when footfall is higher.
And so La Casita provides a good atmosphere, good customer service, a willingness to please and prices that are within reach of pretty much all customers.
The food is decent, the service impressive and it is clearly as restaurant that is managing to keep afloat and offer good times to locals through the leaner months.
With many restaurants going bump, that’s a smart move and one that has served it well.
The décor and overall experience were redolent of a no-frills, authentic Spanish tapas bar, and it’s serving its community well by offering a value-for-money offering at a time when money’s too tight to mention.
