Siesta Tapas in Inverurie is an offering from the lovely Oscar Ortega Tajuelo and Natalia Serrano Lopez.
The duo have been running the tapas restaurant since December 2023.
The menu is full of variety, and including dishes like pork cheek, paella, salads, mussels and more.
I headed along with features writer Andy Morton to try some of the dishes from Inverurie’s Siesta Tapas.
We came hungry and left thoroughly satisfied.
How were tapas favourites like patatas bravas?
We started off trying some of the tapas favourites which we all know and love.
First off, we had a taste of the Patatas bravas (£5.95).
The hand cut chunks of potato were crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.
The tasty sauce was tart, salty and flavourful. I really enjoyed these, and couldn’t fault them if I tried.
Andy: 4/5
Joanna: 5/5
Next up, we tried the Paella Mixta (£7.95).
The paella of the day when we visited was packed with chicken and chorizo.
The paella rice was cooked well, nice and soft without being overcooked, with a lot of the spicy, smoky flavour infused in the rice itself.
The chicken was just as flavourful, and very tender as well.
I would have liked the chorizo to have some crispiness to it, but that is personal preference.
Andy: 4.5/5
Joanna: 3/5
Melt in the mouth meat at Siesta Tapas, Inverurie
Pork cheek isn’t something I see on a menu often, so I was keen to try the Carrillada iberica (£9.95).
This dish consisted of pork cheeks cooked in a red wine sauce.
This one wowed us both.
Submerged in the rich, gravy-like sauce, were four sizeable chunks of deliciously tender pork cheek.
These truly were melt in the mouth. That phrase gets tossed around a lot, but honestly, this meat had such a soft texture it fell apart with the slightest nudge of my fork.
This was absolutely delicious and I would really recommend ordering this when you visit Siesta Tapas.
Andy: 4/5
Joanna: 5/5
Next up were two dishes with vegetables as the main attraction. Oscar and Natalia recommended these as they are two of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.
The Trigueros con bacon (£8.90) was next on our list of tapas dishes.
This consisted of fried asparagus topped with a generous amount of parmesan and bacon.
The asparagus was tender and flavourful, and the bacon was perfectly crunchy. Delicious!
Andy: 4/5
Joanna: 5/5
Mushroom haters could be converted at Siesta Tapas
The Champinon gratinado (£7.90) was, to me, like a cheesy mushroom crème brûlée, without that crispy sugar topping.
Again, this was spectacular and by far the best mushroom dish I have ever had.
The mushrooms didn’t have that obnoxious rubbery texture they so often can.
Instead they were tender. The sauce itself was delicious – a creamy cheese sauce with softened spinach mixed through it.
It was rich and salty and very more-ish. It would convert anyone who thinks they don’t like mushrooms.
Andy: 5/5
Joanna: 5/5
Lastly, I tried the Gulas con gambas (£12.95).
This was a very unique dish. The gulas isn’t noodles but rather a fish paste – surimi – made to resemble baby eels.
The prawns were big and succulent.
I’d have liked a bit more of a kick to this, but it was tasty all the same. The “eels” or gulas would definitely make a good talking point.
Joanna: 4/5
We really enjoyed our visit to Siesta Tapas.
It is absolutely on my list to visit again with friends. The staff are friendly and welcoming, and the dishes are clearly made with both passion and skill.
Check out our other Taste Tests here.
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