A good tapas bar should feel like a small celebration the moment you walk in, and Escabeche in West Bridgford gets that first, most important thing exactly right. Part of the well-regarded Baresca family of restaurants, it has built a strong reputation for bold, Spanish-inspired small plates just south of Nottingham. The Love London team stopped by recently to see whether the food lives up to the billing — and to give it our verdict.
About Escabeche
Escabeche is part of the well-loved Baresca family of restaurants, and the team behind it describe the place as their own “little slice of Barcelona” brought to West Bridgford. They say they have obsessed over every detail of the room around one simple belief — that tapas shared tastes better — and it shows in how the space is built for gathering friends and family around a table. The kitchen keeps to the spirit of tapas while taking bold influence from international flavours, with menus crafted using local, fresh ingredients. Beyond the ground-floor restaurant there is a first-floor dining area upstairs, and at weekends Escabeche opens early, serving breakfast from 9:30am on Saturdays and Sundays.
First impressions: a room that gets it right
The welcome is in the feeling of the place. Escabeche has a genuinely lovely atmosphere and an interior that is completely congruent with a proper tapas bar — warm, characterful and inviting, the sort of room that makes you settle in and reach for the menu before your coat is even off. It looks the part, and it sets a promising tone for the evening.
The one thing we would change: the soundtrack
If there was a single note that felt out of step, it was the music. On our visit it was too loud and too lively for the mood of the room, and not quite congruent with the relaxed, convivial spirit a tapas evening usually calls for. A touch more restraint on the volume would let the conversation, and the food, take centre stage.
Service: warm room, room to improve
Service was the area with the most to work on. Our team found the staff slow to take orders, and the waiters rarely made eye contact — small things, but they add up to a sense of being overlooked in a room that otherwise feels so welcoming. The end of the meal summed it up: the bill arrived alongside a phone displaying a feedback survey, simply placed on the table with no explanation. A little warmth and a few words would go a long way here, and it is the easiest thing in the world to fix.
The food: this is where Escabeche shines
Happily, the plates more than made up for it. The food was excellent across the board, and two dishes in particular stood out. The patatas bravas were a highlight — crisp, well-seasoned and exactly as they should be — and the prawns were superb. Everything else the team ordered was great, too. This is confident, well-executed tapas that clearly takes its ingredients seriously, and it is the reason you would happily overlook a wrinkle or two elsewhere.
The wine list: pitched just right
The wine list is exactly what a tapas bar should offer — considered, well-chosen and not overwhelming. We had a Portuguese red that was excellent and paired beautifully with the small plates. It is a list built to complement the food rather than compete with it, and it does the job with real style.
The verdict
Escabeche is a tapas bar that wins decisively where it matters most — on the plate and in the glass. The atmosphere is spot on, the food is genuinely excellent, and the wine is well judged. If it can turn down the music a notch and warm up the service, it would be very hard to fault. As it stands, it thoroughly earned our score, and we will definitely be going back.
Love London Team Score: 7.5 / 10
Escabeche, West Bridgford: need-to-know
- Address: 25–27 Bridgford Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 6AU
- Telephone: 0115 981 7010
- Opening times: Monday to Friday from 11:45am; Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30am (weekend breakfast served 9:30–11:30am)
- Cuisine: Award-winning Spanish-inspired tapas, part of the Baresca family
- Book a table: barescafamily.co.uk/escabeche
Reviewed by the Love London team following a recent visit. Scores reflect our own experience on the day.