Visiting London on business and was looking for an alternative to pub food. Came here with a colleague and was very impressed by the flavors - we had the braised shrimp and chorizo tapas and the seafood paella. The paella was excellent, though the socaratt could have been a bit more crusty. The tapas were very nicely done. Our waitress recommended the ice cream whiskey sponge desert which was a very nice ending. Finally, I'm now a fan of Pancharan (Patxaran) based cocktails! Lovely ambience, great service and excellent food. Definitely recommend read more

RESTAURANT - Cigala - Spanish - Bloomsbury​   Date of Visit: 15.11.17 Time: 3.30pm   Review:    I have never tried Spanish cuisine so I was looking forward to my visit to Cigala. T​he idea of having authentic Spanish food and tapas​ sounded​ perfect.​ I​ love food, so being able to try multiple dishes is like heaven to me. ​I ​arrived by cab and since Cigala is in Bloomsbury it was only a short trip from my Regent Street​ office. ​M​y friend joined me arriving via public transport. The restaurant is located near to Holborn and Russell Square tube stations so it is an easy place to get to.​ ​ The entrance to Cigala ​can be found on the corner of Lamb's Conduit S​treet and Rugby Street. The area ​has a delightful village feel. Lamb's Conduit Street is partially pedestrianised with fascinating shops and cafes.​ ​ ​Cigala is popular with the legal profession, media and many celebrities have made it their haunt. It is about conviviality and not really about​ fine dining. ​My review will reflect this in that I don't expect the same criteria.    The main dining area on street level has a large floor area and open kitchen and a lot of covers. There is also outside space with tables and chairs where huge pans of paella are served during the summer months. There are space heaters so no one gets cold.   Inside the lighting is not too bright or dim but just right and I​ noted an AC unit by the kitchen,​ so for those who may want to visit during the summer period you get the best of both worlds I​ would say.    Another feature I noted which you don't see much of are the number of coat hooks dotted around which makes​ life a little easier.  ​Cigala also has a private room downstairs which is at the moment being re​decorated and should be completed​ by the time you read this in time for the festive season and those office Christmas parties.  ​ But the main purpose of the review is the food, so take a look further down to see what we had and our thoughts. I ​visited with a friend who is a Pesca​tarian. As I don't eat much fish.​ I​ thought it would be a good idea to take someone along who does.    Location: 54 Lamb's Conduit St, London WC1N 3LW, UK   Parking: I arrived by cab and my friend via tube but noticed there was some parking outside. I understand that you can get parked relatively easily in the vicinity after 6pm.​   Decor & Lighting: ​Stripped down because chef proprietor Jake Hodges believes the food should do the talking​. Cigala offers basic comforts and pleasant lighting.   Ambience & Acoustics:  The location is quiet and there's no background music. As we attended​ during the setup time I​ cannot really comment on the noise levels during a normal lunch or dinner setting.    We had the following:    Food:    Croquetas de setas (Mushroom Croquettes) - We both felt the croquettes were a bit mushy though the batter is light. You do get three pieces however. I​ recently had cod croquettes in a private members club in Piccadilly so maybe I was​ a bit spoilt due to that.    Pinchito de pollo (Grilled marinated chicken kebab)- The chicken was moist and very well-seasoned and s​erved with a fresh salad. The ​dish was ​cooked well and very well marinated. I would definitely have had two of these easily as you are served just one skewer.    Chorizo al la brasa (Homemade Chorizo with fried breadcrumb base) - Two small sausage shaped Chorizo had a strong meaty and spicy flavour but I was happy with this as the base of breadcrumbs really comple​mented the heavier meaty and spicy taste very well and I would recommend this along with the Chicken kebab.    Gambas al ajillo (Prawns in olive oil and garlic) - My friend had this dish which arrived in​ a lot of oil and ​the flavour of garlic was overpowering which did not appeal to her.​   Sardinas a la plancha (Grilled Sardines with Garlic and Parsley) - Another dish my friend had and she mentioned it was nicely cooked and tender, but very salty.   Patatas bravas (Deep fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce) -  The potatoes themselves were cooked well with a crispy and crunchy outside and soft centre. With a nice tomato sauce, the only thing ​I ​would say is to include more sauce and less salt.  Dessert:   Tarta de Santiago (Almond Tarte with Ice Cream)-  The texture was a little confusing as it tasted like a dense and dry muffin. It was served with a custard rather than the advertised ice cream. It was not too rich but had a hard crust which made it slightly difficult to cut.    Arroz con leche (Rice Pudding) - My friend had this dish and her thoughts were that the rice was over cooked or perhaps due to the temperature of the dish (cold) it tasted very hard. However I understand this is how it is served in Spain.   Bill / Cost: In this case we were invited by the restaurant owners to come along and enjoy a meal on them and they covered the bill. Typically, however without alcohol we would have had to pay around £30 per head with soft drinks but they also have an express lu read more

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In a calm street in Bloomsbury lies this quite modest looking tapas restaurant, friendly service and good atmosphere, and not to mention the delicious tapas dishes, would go there again! If you're hungry you've come to the right place.. read more

Cigala Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - London, XGL

I'm surprised at the three star review - I really like this place. Very friendly staff who accomodated us at the last minute and were helpful with menu choices. It is a little pricier than some other tapas places - that giant one at Kings Cross for one - but the food is really worth it. Everything tasted really fresh and was delicious. Especially the black pudding. They have four kinds of olives, and the cheese plate is generous. Even the house wine - available in carafes which I love - is decent. A good find, I'll definitely be back and would like to visit the little bar downstairs. read more

My wife and I visited Cigla, on Lambs Conduit Street and was a great choice on a snowy February night! Staff were very welcoming and friendly and good service. Choice of Spanish tapas wide and varied, our choice of fresh anchovy salad with artichokes and pepper salsa and Iberian blackpudding with fried egg and "hot" sauce were both delicious. Main course of seafood paella was equally tasty. A shared desert of prunes, chewy meringue with cream finished us off! Very good wine choice of wine from all regions of Spain Definately worth a visit read more

Will definitely be going again. Excellent, even over compensating, service (we ended up with 2 extra tapas and 1 extra pudding), all tapas dishes from the £16pp amazing value weekend menu were so flavoursome and authentic reminding us all of much loved family holidays to Spain. Standouts were the tortilla, salt cod, vermut de Rioja with a wedge of orange to squeeze in for £3.75, and the homemade honeycomb ice cream that came with the walnut cake pudding. For a 3 courser, we left content - that rare feeling from the perfect amount of very good quality food. read more

Cigala Restaurant - Slightly dry seafood paella and a totally delicious chicken & chorizo paella from £16pp highly recommend weekend menu. - Spanish Near Me - London, XGL

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The location and look of Cigala is a winner; it wears a quiet, discerning garb in the middle of Lambs Conduit Street, a rather secluded part of Bloomsbury, although the interiors are very unassuming. The waiter was welcoming, but a tad sarcastic The cured black foot ham, the serrano ham with manchego and the oak smoked beef, all excellent picks for starter meats. We went on to order the Berenjenas alpujarenas which are aubergines stuffed with goats cheese, mint, cumin, red onion and chilli. Not bad, but I think the spices suppressed the goats cheese, so I'd say a tad easy on the spicing. The mushroom croquettas and the padron peppers, both excellent. The lamb meatballs (Albondigas de cordero) in tomato sauce were good (3 pieces). The large grilled calamari came with with mojo verde and guindilla peppers. The 'Higado a la jerezana' or the pan-fried chicken livers with softened onions and pedro ximenez was one of my favourites. The caramelised onions were delicious and went very well with the strong taste of the livers. The grilled homemade chorizo with fried breadcrumbs, peppers and cumin was excellent (although they would've been just fine without the taste of cumin). The tarta de Fruta - almond and fruit tart with crème anglaise, and Tarta de Naranja for dessert. Worth a try. I'd definitely come back here for another go. Priced reasonably, with very satisfactory service. read more

Very simple and I would even say boring interior. But God, the food here is excellent. Like most good places I've had lunch at - I found this randomly. I was in West London with a friend. We don't know the area that well and we were starving! Glad we came in. Spanish cuisine of good quality is hard to find in London. This place beats all my expectations. We ordered a portion of ''Paella de pollo'' which is rice with chicken and veggies. It came in a huge serving and even both of us couldn't finish it even though it was delicious. The products are fresh and tasty. The service is friendly and polite. Would definitely come back if I find myself in West London again. read more

We ate here during a vacation. Food was pretty good but the meal was ruined by the most insolent waiter I've ever had. She was downright rude to us for no reason at all. Another diner (not with us) complained about her to the manager when we were leaving. The strange part was that she was all happy and smiling with other customers, but with us she acted as if we'd done something to offend her. Anyway, I'd really avoid this place unless you get a really good feel from your waiter right when you sit down. It's no fun to have your dinner ruined by a bad waiter. read more

Just the most excellent Spanish food in the area. Great for tapas or a meal and an amazing wine list. Nice one!

Arrived at the quiet street of Holborn to find this gem of the area. ( I say gem because it is not hidden location-wise, but Cigala deserves a lot of people on a Saturday especially. ) It has a calming atmosphere, an inviting place for a lot of occasions I would say, from cosy family dinners or smart-casual date. The food gave us a really pleasant surprise compared to how the restaurant presented itself both on the exterior and the interior setting. All the dishes we ordered were very well seasoned and presentable, particularly the shrimps tapas with a fantastic aroma of fresh herbs and the chorizo on a bed of breadcrumbs. The paella was phenomenal - the portion was massive with a lot of fresh seafood on it and we wish we could finish it! ( It's definitely for at least two people as recommended on the menu, but with all the tapas it is almost impossible to finish). Overall ingredients are really selected at their finest and marinated perfectly. Waitresses were not particularly helpful, which took one star off the chart - it took them a while to notice the bottles were empty and they seemed to be in a rush to take our unfinished food off the table. read more

Good tapas and wine selection. A bit pricey though. We went on a quiet weeknight so were well taken care of and the service and food was very good but not somewhere we could eat at often given the prices. I would go back though. read more

Nice place on quiet street just a short walk from our rental property. Good tapas, well spiced and nice portions. The service, as mentioned in other reviews, needs some help. Showed up for dinner at 6pm and greeted with a frown when the dining room was empty. Took awhile to get order taken and then waited ages for the check. All of the service was with a frown. I think, in the defense of the server, he was the only one working the entire place till the manager stepped in. It was a good meal overall and a nice place, so I would still give 4 stars. Hoping the serving staff get some help. read more

Not cheap but easily 5 stars, therefore popular with an older / professional crowd. Fresh ingredients, great service & decent wine list. Also very helpful with food intolerances, and most dishes are cooked in oil. My favourites are the gambas, salt cod fritters & the pan fried chicken livers, although everything is good. read more

A sweet Tapas place on a quiet street with a great Spanish wine menu. Dishes are more wholesome than the "tapas" tag name. Service is great - really friendly and accommodating. During weekday lunches the crowd is a work crowd but it was more fun on a Saturday night. There is a tapas wine bar downstairs for starters or nibbles and drinks only. The restaurant is on the ground floor and has a fuller menu. We discovered some great Spanish wine that has been hard to find elsewhere in London, so worth it for great wine! read more

I have been to this place many times. It is on a lovely pedestrian street corner, and the atmosphere could range from quiet to very noisy, tightly packed with doctors and consultants vividly discussing their stuff. At times, the food was unbelievably good. I remember grilled squid (starter), paella, lamb, sea bass, of various makings and flavours. At times, it was a bit over the top: too much fried garlic, too hot a souce, too reach a granish. Their own bread could be fantastic or, at times, a bit flat. The staff sound pretty unfriendly at times, but this is just as in Madrid; in the end the are quite helpful. I will come back because this is a proper restaurant, with some unexpected taste combinations, never dull or plain. It is not cheap, unfortunately, but service is always included. read more

I like Cigala, it has a great atmosphere and some really excellent food. We've been twice now, and stuck to tapas on both occasions and had a great time. The only issue is the wine list, which was disappointing - we had a number of glasses of wine by the glass and none were that good (all were modern "fruit-forward" wines, which are the tarts of the wine world!). The other minor issue is the downstairs room - if you book a table, request one upstairs because downstairs is dark and smells damp! Well worth a visit for some good spanish food, and at relatively reasonable prices too. read more

Great service and great food. Hearty stuff.

The worst service and most unfriendly staff in any restaurant in London. Food average. Not worth the money