They say that good thing come in small parcels, and clearly restaurants apply to this rule if Roja Pinchos is anything to go by.
Nestled away in bustling Berry Street, Roja Pinchos is a hidden gem in an area that has quickly become saturated with bars and restaurants. It’s decor is simple yet striking, cosy yet trendy.
Roja Pinchos translates from Spanish to mean Red Spikes and with this introduces a new way of Tapas to Liverpool diners. Each pinchos comes skewered and the idea behind this is that you have as many, or as few, as you’d like and at the end the waiter will collect your skewers and work out your bill. The size of the skewer indicates the price. Simple yet somehow a little bit exciting.
Despite it’s sizing Roja Pinchos manage to have something for everyone. Tapas can be a difficult one at times, often restaurants saturate the food in chorizo and tomato sauce – but not here. The food truly is outstanding with options available for even the fussiest of eaters. Each dish is balanced, well thought out and not a million miles away from the pincho you can grab in Spain.
We tried some cold pinchos to start which included Manchego Cheese and Quince Jelly served on fresh bread, Spanish Tortilla served with Piquillo peppers and an Olive Tapenade, also served on fresh bread. All three were absolutely delicious, with nothing to complain about. In fact the Tortilla is one of the best that I have ever tasted.
We then moved on to the hot stuff. We opted for Chicken, Chorizo served with curried Mayonnaise, the Salmon, Asparagus served with Cracked Eggs, Steak wrapped in Serrano Ham and King Prawns. Nothing could be faulted in any of the food but for me, the stand out is the Steak. Served with Roja Sauce this dish is perfectly balanced, despite its Tapas style portion and I really couldn’t get enough of it.
Finally for dessert we opted for Churros served with hot chocolate sauce or caramel sauce. Clearly, the chef at Roja has a true gift for making amazing sauces as the caramel sauce was absolutely divine. I’d have it with everything if I could.
Roja Pinchos is quite unique in that whilst it is a fully formed restaurant, it’s outstanding bar menu has people popping in strictly for drinks. The Cava menu is very extensive and well thought out, in fact the entire bar is. It stays true to it’s roots with the vast majority of the beverages being Spanish and sourced from independent suppliers.
We tried both the Rondell and the Moscato. Both were divine, and well thought out by the creators of Roja Pinchos. Dry enough to leave a crisp taste yet light enough to be enjoyed with any pincho on the menu.
For Gin Lovers, there is a Gin Menu which is extensive and includes your typical gins but also has some interesting ones such as Gin Mare. I kept it a little more local(ish!) opting for Edinburgh Elderflower Gin paired with Fever Tree Elderflower. Mixed perfectly and rounded off a wonderful evening at this little hidden gem.
I think my favourite part of the evening was the staff, they really could not do enough for us from the moment we got in. Enthusiastic, knowledgeable, approachable and fun, everything you’d want during a relaxed evening out. Zack looked after us on the evening and I have to say, he offered the best service I have ever received at a bar and restaurant in Liverpool. The enthusiasm and passion from the staff about what they do was genuine and it makes me look forward to the future of this place.
The creators have something special here, something unique. I am told that Roja Pinchos has a trick up it’s sleeve in the form of a Basement Bar, with good food and an even better selection of drinks, Roja is going to be a force to be reckoned with.