With the loom of Brexit affecting London’s big chain restaurants, the intimate gastronomic abodes that provide an ‘experience’, not just a meal, seem to be thriving. North London’s Spanish restaurant ‘Escocesa’ is one of them. The Stoke Newington sister of Crouch End’s Bar Esteban provides that personal approach, with a querky decor and style that, if not strictly Spanish, appeals to its local audience.
Escocesa’s authenticity, strangely, comes from not being typically Spanish. The owner, Esteban, is in fact Stephen from Scotland, yes the Escoces bit of Escocesa. And what’s nice is that the attractive ambience reflects his own personal taste rather than what he thinks might be Spanishy.
But the food delivers. And so does the effervescent jefa, Naroa, who knows her stuff when it comes to both service and food, as does head chef Pablo Rodriguez who worked previously at Barcelona’s Michelin starred Jean luc Figueras. The Escoses has cleverly left these two talents to run the show in the kitchen and front of house.
I started with one of the fine selection of sherries, the Pedro Gimenez, from one of Spain’s exceptional of the small, independent sherry houses, Fernando de Castilla, which went very well with the Cumbrae oyster. Another infusion of Scotish pride came in the form of shetland mussels a la plancha, and suddenly the Scottish-Spanish connection clicked. Naroa explains how Stephen, or Esteban, first thought of opening a Spanish restaurant that sourced Scottish seafood and fish after reading an article detailing how all the best Scottish seafood would leave Scotland headed for Spain. And so, Escocesa prides itself on ‘hi-jacking’ some of the best Scottish seafood.
More classic Spanish dishes included the delicious Morcilla iberica (black pudding) with piquillo pepper and quail egg and the ever essential Jamon croquetas. The scallops with Jerusalem artichoke puree and crispy pancetta were absolutely sublime, the scallops bursting open in the mouth, and this was quickly followed by a courgette flower that showered the taste buds with goat cheese, and a trickle of sweet honey.
The menu, typed out in old type writer font, looks simple but the substance is intricately thought out and immaculately presented. Each dish has a twist on the classic Spanish; the grilled octopus accompanied very nicely by a white bean puree and crispy capers, rather than the usual potato and paprika, and the duck magret with candied beetroot, spinach and cashew.
This Stoke Newington gem is trying to do something different without being pretentious and the efforts to pay off. It has a loyal local customer base, which just about suits it in the current climate, although I would definitely travel across London to enjoy this Spanish experience a la escocesa.
67 Stoke Newington Church St, Stoke Newington, London N16 0AR
