The Crow’s Nest in the Square

Until I discovered this cosy candlelit restaurant tucked away in Hope Square, I had never found an English tapas bar that came close to offering the culinary delights of Spain. The attentive front-of-house team suggested two to three dishes per person, though you can order more as you go. We relished an array of Iberian flavours, sampling patatas bravas, vegetable paella, crisp panko-crumbed prawns, succulent scallops with chorizo in a creamy garlic sauce and juicy barbecue chicken wings. My personal favourite was a characterful dish of beautifully spicy chorizo in red wine sauce – with a plate of this and a glass of fruity Spanish red, I felt like I was in the heart of Madrid, not just off Weymouth’s famous quayside. When it came to dessert we couldn’t resist a last tapas dish in the form of utterly delightful deep-fried Manchego.

The key to a great tapas bar is to entice guests in with such delectable dishes that a dinner becomes a social event, and The Crow’s Nest in the Square achieves exactly this. For those visiting earlier in the day, it’s also worth knowing that this versatile venue doubles up as a charming café, offering hearty traditional cooked breakfasts and an array of light bites for lunch.