In front of a packed gathering of the luminaries of the tapas bar world at Ibérica Marylebone, London, Wednesday night, Anthony Rose and Isabel Cuevas launched the much-awaited Tapas Bar Guide.

Executive chef César García of Ibérica, designed a fabulous menu of tapas and pinchos for the occasion, washed down with Mahou beer and wines from Torres, González Byass and Codorníu.

Those present included newly-anointed Michelin-star chef Nieves Barragán of Barrafina, David García and Ignacio Pinilla of Copita, Richard Bigg of Camino, Josep Carbonell of Brindisa, Omar Allibhoy of Tapas Revolution and María José Sevilla of Foods and Wines from Spain.

Tapas have become the most important phenomenon in Spanish culinary history and the movement is unstoppable. Spanish gastronomy is now recognised as among the finest in the world and the result has been a dramatic increase in the number of Spanish restaurants in the five continents.

This book is an exclusive selection of the expanding array of tapas bar and restaurants in London and the UK. It features a profile of each tapas bar and a selection of the best signature recipes from such established names as Brindisa, Barrafina, Camino, Capote y Toros, Ibérica, José and many others.

The guide brings alive the history and origins of tapas, explaining their regional and cultural context and includes an introduction to Spanish beer, wines and sherry, with a glossary of tapas terms.

The objective is to contribute to the spread of tapas culture worldwide, in promoting both the consumption of Spanish products (ham, cheese, olives, beers, wines, olive oil, preserves, smoked fish and so on) and of course Spanish cookery itself.

The audience for this guide is anyone whether living in London, or just visiting from other parts of the UK or overseas, including the Spanish community and Spanish tourists. Anyone in fact interested in the fashionable tapas phenomenon and wishing to experience and enjoy the Spanish way of life.

Anthony Rose is the wine correspondent of The Independent and contributes to Decanter Magazine and the World of Fine Wine. He is a wine judge and educator and has won several awards for wine writing including the Louis Roederer International Wine Columnist of the Year, Glenfiddich Wine Writer of the Year and the Prix Lanson Black Label Award. He is a founding member of The Wine Gang at www.thewinegang.com and displays his writing on his website: www.anthonyrosewine.com.

Isabel Cuevas is the author of the Tokyo Tapas Bar Guide 2010 (in co-operation with Wines from Spain, Tokyo). She has 15 years’ experience exporting Spanish wine and food all over the world. She has lived in Japan for 3 years where she has observed and analysed the increasing presence of Spanish Tapas Bars in Tokyo and the influence of Spanish ingredients in Japanese cuisine.

The UK’s Top Tapas Bars and their signature recipes

Anthony Rose & Isabel Cuevas

1st October 2014
176 pages
198 x 129mm
Full colour throughout
ISBN: 978-1-909808-06-5
£10.99 paperback, Grub Street