Taberna do Mercado, Spitalfields

Very recently it was my blog’s first anniversary. And what better way to celebrate an anniversary than to hit up Nuno Mendes’ hot new opening, Taberna do Mercado.

What seems like way back when, my husband and I ate at Viajante which used to be housed in Bethnal Green Town Hall. It was probably one of the best meals I’ve had. I remember Nuno coming out to diners individual tables explaining a dish here and there. And that my friends, is where the chef crush began…but more on that later. The food and service was exceptional, whilst still keeping a laid back feel. Which I have come to realise is what Mendes is all about: outstanding quality through the whole experience, whilst feeling at ease.

Taberna do Mercado sits within Spitalfields Market; it is beautifully simple, bright and airy. As is the way now, you can’t reserve a table in the evening, so we headed straight here after work on a Friday. We arrived just after 6, which is when they begin dinner service.

With a couple of tables left inside (they have a number outside, under the markets roof) we were shown to ours and, who is sat in the corner, just two tables away… the man himself, Nuno Mendes. At this point I inform my husband of my continued chef crush. He takes it well; we order wine.

Describing themselves as a Petite Portuguese eatery for tapas, the restaurant offers a menu of snacks, cheeses, meats, tinned fish, small plates, sandwiches and dessert. There is a lot of fish on the menu, which I loved. We spent so long trying to whittle down our humongous list of dishes we wanted to order – everything sounds amazing, seriously.

This first dish to arrive was the prawn rissóis, on the recommendation of our fabulous waiter. These little prawn parcels were deliciously rich, the depth of flavour incredible and peppery with the almost texture of brown crab meat.

Then came maybe my top dish of the night – the house tinned scallops with brown butter and walnuts. Soft and delicate the scallops were melt-in-the mouth (I hate that saying with a passion but they really were!). Served with a couple of slices of much needed bread to sop up the tangy, moorish butter. I literally could have licked the tin.

Next up, cuttlefish and pig trotters coentrada were served in a light broth with fragrant flowers and herbs. This really did taste light and meaty all at once, with the herbs lifting the dish. I really wanted to order more bread at this point to enjoy every last drop, but I knew there was more to come so restrained myself.

Chicory, massa de pimentão, pear and almonds arrived next. This was probably my least favourite of the night. It was smokey and slightly spicy as you would expect, maybe just a little too oily for me. Also, served alone it didn’t do much for me. But then came the corvina and picadito Algarvio. Meaty pieces of fish simply dressed with olive oil and a pepper salsa. I liked the slight bitterness the green peppers added.

Now, we couldn’t leave without trying at least some of the cheese and meats on offer. I’ve forgotten which of the meats we ordered, but it was soft and fatty and full of flavour. We paired this with a fantastic semi-soft cheese, Azeitao. This is an unpasteurised sheep’s milk cheese made at the foothills of the Arrábida Mountains in the south west of Portugal. Need to get hold of some of this, loved it!

Although we were pretty full by this stage, we had to try dessert. We ordered the much talked about Abade de Priscos and port caramel and also the Tigelada, rice milk and orange. The latter was light and zesty. But, the pig fat, egg yolk caramel was definitely my favourite. The consistency is like a creme caramel. The spiced port sauce cuts through perfectly. Yes this is a Portuguese bacon pudding and it’s brilliant.

Also, make sure you go to the toilet whilst here – you have to walk through the kitchen and you get a sneak peek of the chefs in action.

We were well and truly full. We had spent hours working our way through the menu and it was time to order the bill. Once again a marvellous and interesting meal with Nuno Mendes at the helm. The staff here are great too, they know the menu and wine list inside-out and make it a pleasure to dine there.

We left the buzzing restaurant and Nuno chatting to dinners, and headed to Blixen for a couple of cocktails. What a glorious Friday night.

PS. There are rumours that Viajante will make a reappearance… I really do hope so.

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