El Gato Negro Tapas

Having heard much about El Gato Negro since it opened, I have wondered how good it actually is with all the hype. I was meeting the ladies for dinner one evening and we decided to pop in, although to our dismay we discovered that they were fully booked up. I endeavoured to organise another meeting to try this place out.

That fateful day eventually arrived, although one of my friends couldn’t make it in the end. However, by this point she had visited El Gato Negro prior and so, I went in with my other friend to try the menu out.

Interior

The interior is quite cosy, but the large windows help to bring in a lot of light. There is an open roof terrace on the top floor, which is no doubt good for those Summer evenings.

The Menu

El Gato Negro menu

There is a lot on the menu and our waitress suggested 2 or 3 plates per person. My friend and I opted for 5 plates total and chose a balance of veg, seafood and meat.

The Food

The spread at El Gato Negro

Slow roast white onions

Slow roast white onions with chargrilled artichokes and manchego rice

The onions were perfectly roasted and charred slightly on the edges; it combined well with the creaminess of the manchego rice. A nice easy plate to eat.

Heritage carrots

Heritage carrots, aubergine purée, miso and walnut pesto dressing

I really liked this dish. The carrots were not overcooked and still had some bite to it. The miso and walnut pesto dressing went well with the carrots and the aubergine puree added that hint of creaminess. I also really love the colours of the dish.

Baby chicken

Baby chicken with lemon, garlic, paprika and romesco sauce

The chicken was cooked well and was still moist inside; you can taste the lemon, garlic and paprika. The romesco sauce was flavoursome also.

Squid with black ink rice

Squid with black ink rice, lemon and parsley salad

I hate rubbery squid but this dish did not contain any of that. The squid had a good bite and the rice was cooked perfectly without being too soggy or too hard. I like the presentation of this dish too, with the tentacles laid to a side.

Chargrilled Octopus

Chargrilled octopus with capers, shallots and aioli

The octopus was also cooked to perfection with a good bite to the meat. This place does seafood justice so I thoroughly recommend ordering some if you like seafood!

Valrhona chocolate delice

Valrhona chocolate delice

Feeling quite full but greedy for dessert, my friend and I opted to share a dessert and deliberately chose something light. Normally, this would be citrus based dessert, but as there was none we opted for the Valrhona chocolate delice. This cake was absolutely gorgeous! The slice is very, very light but full of that chocolate flavour we all know and love. 

Overall rating and comments

8.5/10 -0.5 for the price as it’s ever so slightly more expensive than Iberica, but I feel the quality of food is about the same. I feel the hype of this place has also had a hand to play with the pricing. -1 for the service as it took a while to get the attention of someone for anything. We did have to wait a while to get a normal drinks menu as we were only given the alcoholic one, and my friend was heavily pregnant at the time. Please book in advance to guarantee a table, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings!

Would visit again?

Yes, for a special occasion. The food is expensive but worth it for a fancy night out. I really recommend the seafood! 

Information

Website: http://www.elgatonegrotapas.com/
Address: 52 King Street, Manchester, M2 4LY

Do you like eating tapas or seafood? Have you been to El Gato Negro Tapas?

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