TaPaell'Ya

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £16 (lunch)
   £16 (evening meal)
• House wine: £13.50 per bottle

• Hitlisted
• High point: Spain seldom felt so close . . .
• Low point: . . . but it's difficult to find
• Food served: Mon-Fri 8am-10.30pm; Sat 6-10.30pm. Closed Sun
• Open since: 2002
• Also offers: Childrens portions, Childrens high chairs, Wheelchair access, Take away

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

Little do the daily throng of by-passing city workers realise of the style and cuisine that TaPaella'Ya offers, tucked away as it is in a slightly hidden corner of the modernist SAS Radisson hotel. Its low-lit interior exudes warm shades of red and dark wood in which tablecloths blaze white, and is made warmer by the considerate service and contemporary Spanish soundtrack. As for specialities, the clue is in the name: keenly-priced tapas include fresh, meaty langoustines and a mound of artichokes, their slight sourness balanced by crisply-fried ham; while the paella, a traditional pan of stubby, saffron-sunny rice loaded with a choice of seafood, vegetables and juicy chicken breast, is about as authentic as you can get this far from the costas. Other mains include a carefully cooked, tender shank of aromatic lamb, swathed in a simple tomato and olive sauce. There's also a dessert platter for two, which features a chewy almond flan and cognac-soaked oranges. The studied wine list is a veritable tour of Spain's best growers, given greater evocation by a map spanning the back wall. Iberophiles, shoppers and blinkered office workers alike would also be wise to explore an excellent range of online and takeaway deals.