Donostia

Donostia was one of the first restaurants in London to fly the flag for Basque food in London in the last decade, with both the region's casual and high-end food reinterpreted by Basque chefs in the capital in the years since. Rather than the two- and three-Michelin-starred restaurants of San Sebastian and the surrounding area, Donostia takes a more casual approach inspired by the city's more easygoing pintxos bars, the name given to tapas-like small plates in the Basque Country. Its name, Donostia, is the Basque name for the city of San Sebastian.

While there are some specials that come and go, the menu here stays mostly the same: a compact list of classic pintxos that are ideal for grazing at over a few glasses of wine. Classic Spanish tapas like jamón Ibérico and croquetas come alongside Basque regional staples like txistorra sausage, patatak (Basque-style patatas bravas) and gulas, fried baby eels with lemon.

While the space might look a little more contemporary than some of the old-school pintxos bars of San Sebastian, there's still a casual feel, with counter seating and small square tables lining its long, narrow dining room. The food's lightness provides versatility: it's great for a working lunch, a casual date or a long dinner, depending on the occasion