Restaurant review: Camino, N1

�If you’ve never been to Varnishers courtyard, it is like a little oasis of calm amid the unremitting turbulence of King’s Cross.

On a sunny day it’s amazingly peaceful –despite the maelstrom 100 yards away – so it’s a fitting home to a laid-back tapas bar like Camino.

We visited on a clement Sunday afternoon, but a lack of waiting staff meant we couldn’t eat al fresco, which was a shame on one of the few nice days of summer.

Excellent

The waiter who was there, however, was excellent – providing a passionate guide through the extensive menu, which is divided into hot and cold tapas, bites from the grill, and cured food from the cupboard.

He helped us shape the meal to our choosing and was also quick to recommend a suitable sherry or wine, and happy to let us taste them prior to ordering.

For the first round, we had some plump, juicy olives and salted almonds, which went very well with our light sherry.

Then the pan con tomatoe was a crusty delight, the serrano ham rich, well-cured and delicious and the chorizo from the grill tangy and satisfying with the roasted peppers.

After a brief pause, we tucked into round two. This included rape (not pronounced as it looks) which is a soft, boneless monkfish wrapped in ham and with a creamy sauce and mashed potato.

It was a lovely combination, but not a large helping for almost �9.

Pick of the bunch were the Gambas Al Ajillo – wonderfully succulent prawns in a mouth-watering garlic and white wine oil with enough of a hint of chilli to keep things interesting.

Slightly disappointing were the patatas bravas and ham croquettes – both of which lacked care and imagination in comparison with the other dishes.

Most things about Camino are very pleasing, offering a wide range of good tapas and wine served by knowledgable staff in comfortable surroundings.

It isn’t the cheapest Spanish place around, but it is very authentic, and the beauty of tapas is you order exactly as much as you fancy.