Visited on a Monday evening and I was very impressed. The service was very friendly. Plenty of choice for vegetarians. The portions were bigger than I would normally expect for tapas. Particular highlights were the potatoes in a spicy sauce, the baked aubegine with cheese and the rice with mixed vegetables. With each dish being between £3 and £5, the food was great value as well as being very tasty. The restaurant is nicely decorated, and overall an excellent dining experience. Much better than that offered by some of the chain tapas restaurants.

Julia

Excellent restaurant with a wide variety of tapas dishes which are all very tasty and very traditional. Every time I have eaten here its been busy which is always a good sign and has a vibrant atmosphere. You cannot book tables on a weekend unless it’s a table for four or over which is a shame as often you have to wait over an hour for a table. If you are a huge paella fan then I would recommend La Vina on Greys St and keep El Torero for tapas dishes.

El Torero is absolutely fantastic! The food is always amazing, and the service is excellent. We always have three dishes each plus bread to share and drinks and our bill is never more than about thirty pounds. Not bad for a lovely meal in a brilliant atmosphere. Highly recommend going if you haven't been yet!!

Charlotte757

El Torero is my most favourite restaurant of all time. The food is amazing, the service is relaxed and friendly and you can really tell the people who own the place are proud of it. I tell everyone to go here as you really need to experience the food to believe how good it is! so go!!!

clean plate

El Torero, The Side, NE1 1PR tel 0191 233 1122 Friends had told us that we might have to wait for a table at El Torero the Spanish Tapas Restaurant if we called in on a Friday night. Although it appeared busy, we were ushered to a table immediately when we arrived at about 7.40pm. By the time we moved to the bar after 9.00pm the place was full and diners who had not booked were being advised that they might have to wait over 30 minutes for a table. Most appeared quite happy because they were going to get a table and it would give them the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere and people watch whist they waited in the bar. It is so interesting to see people come in off a cold street into a warm vibrant restaurant with the staff fussing round them. It adds to the atmosphere to hear the Spanish language being used at a high volume and fast rate as drinks are ordered and tables prepared by the mainly Spanish staff. There were large parties, couples and family groups all seemingly having a great time. We had been forewarned not to order too many tapas. Restricting ourselves was difficult, as there is such a wide variety on the extensive menu. We settled for the ?ordero a la pepitoria?(succulent lamb braised in a tomato and cream sauce), ?otatas a la riojana?(a mix of fried potatoes, red peppers and chorizo sausage) and ?opa vieja?(chickpeas in a spicy tomato sauce with spicy sausage). Ordering the tapas was taken as a challenge like the GCSE speaking test (menu closed and no using English). The waiters were great as they tried to work out our mangled pronunciation, all part of the fun with the reward of the tapas being delivered fairly quickly to the table rather than the very long wait for GCSE results. Within each of the three tapas there was a mix of distinctive flavours, each enjoyable on its own or mixed with the others. The quantities were generous especially the lamb and both my partner and I drooled (figuratively and literally) over the chickpeas. With just a little space still left for the rest of our Torrecilli red wine we chose one more tapas, ?atiles con beicon?(dates in bacon). This tapas with the delicate taste of the smoky bacon round a date stuffed with an almond is best consumed on its own to experience the subtle mix of textures and flavours. The wine and the four tapas came to a reasonable £28.50. We certainly found the service and food excellent and we really enjoyed the ambience and style of the restaurant. It is the sort of place that you feel you have to return to and we most certainly will.

Lyndsey

El Torero is fab. The food is always so nice that you end up eating more than you should and not being able to move. The set tapas menu is really good value as is the paella. If you get the paella between two people there will be plenty left over. The jugs of sangria will certainly make you merry.

jackie

Absolutely superb, if you want to try something a bit different on the quayside, you will not be disappointed with El Torero. We ordered 7 different Tapas probably too much for 2 people but everything delicious, plus bottle wine & coffee £38 for 2 - service excellent, enjoy

Allan

The lady friend and I went Tapas crazy on Friday and hit El Torero and we were not disappointed. A great atmosphere, quick service and fantastic food We ordered seven dishes all of which were superb. From the juicy King Prawns in chilli and garlic to the Mussels in white wine. Together with a bottle of red wine and a dessert to share the bill came to £33.40. The dishes come separately as and when they are cooked, which I liked, as it made the whole experience less daunting. I left after two hours feeling 2 stones heavier and slightly suntanned FANTASTIC!!!!

maira

The best choice for a meal is the Paella, they have various types, all of them very good. I myself like to have paella valenciana, the price is excellent for two people and the service is very good. I often go there and I always love the food.

lucy

Well, you get what you pay for, so if you are looking for a treat, make el torero one of your shortlist. A good idea if you are not too sure about Spanish cuisine is the tapas, which is just over £10 per person - a good selection of all things Espanola, and plenty of it- cold, hot, sizzling, steaming, crunchy, fresh - a very enjoyable evening.

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