Beyond tapas @ La Azotea

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of La Azotea.

More than 6 years on, La Azotea is going strong. Locals will tell you it's the best tapas bar in town, making queues common place for a coveted seat at the restaurant or its bar.

The menu is unconventional but approachable and most of all has a playful sense of adventure. Each of our numerous plates were executed to perfection.

The restaurant is expanding with new locations but the emphasis on quality remains, with every one of the restaurants serving high quality food using seasonal produce. The result is an ever-changing menu which keeps regulars interested and coming back for more.

Rice paper triangles stuffed with cheese, prawns and leeks

The eye catching rice paper triangles were a delicious start. The combination of the crispy rice paper pastry and the fresh tender cheese, prawns and leeks was a textural delight. It was a beautiful amalgamation of sweet and salty flavours which tingled the senses.

Carabineros shrimp "cocktail" with an aged sherry sabayon

A dish of complex but well balanced flavours, the shrimp was perfectly cooked and bursting with natural flavour, a flavour further enhanced by the subtle sweetness of the

aged sherry sabayon

. The fruity acidity of the sherry introduced further layers of complexity. It was a magnificent dish.

Large grilled squid with avocado and green ali oli

We adored the presentation of this dish and loved the flavours even more. The quality of the squid was exemplary. The perfectly cooked squid was adorned with slightly tart and refreshing

avocado and green ali oli.

A Mediterranean dish which allowed the natural sweetness of the squid to shine.

Fresh hake served with a carrot and pumpkin cream, passionfruit and shrimp tartare

This dish was a wonderful mélange of different textures, natural sweetness and acidity. The hake was cooked to perfection and embellished with delicate shrimp tartare while the addition of passionfruit added the final touch to an enlivening combination of ingredients.

Beef tenderloin with potatoes

The beef was perfectly cooked. Boasting a deep pink, the meat was intense with characteristic matured beef notes and a deep earthy richness. It was texturally sublime with a decadent melt in the mouth, almost buttery, consistency.

Braised pork cheek in a red wine sauce, goat cheese gratin

Our final savoury dish continued the trend of excellent dishes which it followed. The braised pork was an excellent homely dish. Incredibly tender, it fell away easily with the weight of our forks. Coated with the earthy braising sauce, it was most enjoyable when eaten with the decadent layer of goat cheese gratin.

Chocolate fondant with vanilla bean ice cream

Desserts at La Azotea are similarly well devised. Our dessert of chocolate fondant was well made with a rich billowing chocolate centre and a slightly crisp cake exterior, this dessert would delight any chocolate lover. The vanilla bean ice cream which accompanied the fondant matched it well and was refreshingly light and fragrant.