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EACH of Manchester’s influx of new Spanish restaurants has a USP – something that makes it stand out from the others. So what is it that makes La Bandera so special? Well, it is obviously a restaurant serving delicious Iberian cuisine, but the owners are from the Canary Islands. This group of islands, which welcomes over 12 million visitors per year, has its own speciality cuisine which draws from its natural subtropical climate and the clear waters surrounding miles of coastline.
All dishes are beautifully presented with richly coloured sauces, pink salt crystals or edible flowers.
La Bandera’s menu reflects this by serving traditional dishes, lovingly prepared using the finest seasonal ingredients, along with a carefully selected wine list (of which they are justifiably proud) including cavas and sherries. All dishes are beautifully presented with richly coloured sauces, pink salt crystals or edible flowers.
Spanish food culture has evolved around small tasting plates accompanied by a matching drink, as heavy meals don’t always work hand in hand with the heat of the day. La Bandera has a wonderful range of tapas, appetisers and starters. Highlights for us were the dramatic Croquetas de Chipirón; traditional Spanish croquettes enriched by delicious squid ink, and Pulpo en dos Cocciones, a twice-cooked Galician octopus tentacle served with a mojo rojo drizzle, on a bed of spicy paprika mash.
Croquetas de Chipirón
Potatoes are a speciality of the Canary Islands as the quality of their soil produces especially delicious ones, so make sure you order a portion of perfectly salted Papas Arrugadas con Mojo; wrinkled baby potatoes with traditional spicy Canarian garlic sauces - mojo rojo and mojo verde.
Papas Arrugadas con Mojo
La Bandera also offers a range of more substantial main dishes using fresh fish, seafood, meat, poultry, and of course the luxurious deep-flavoured rice dishes Spain is famous for. They have put together two special tasting menus so guests can enjoy a handpicked range of dishes with suitable wines to match.
To get a true taste of their special tapas, diners can choose to work their way through the ten course ‘La Bandera’ tasting menu at £45 per person, or £70 per person with matching wine flight. The rolling programme of small dishes begins with plump King Prawns loaded with garlic, parsley and a slight kick of fresh chilli, followed by some of those famous Canarian potatoes we mentioned earlier and our favourite, the Squid Ink Croquettas.
Next, diners will be treated to honeyed chicken strips on a bed of roast Mediterranean vegetables, as well as the wonderful Galician octopus dish, followed by a sharply cleansing homemade lemon sorbet.
Honeyed Chicken Strips
Hake is incredibly popular in Spain and you’ll find it in some form or another on most restaurant menus. At La Banderas, it’s a very pretty dish served on a bed of velvety green peas with crispy leeks, and for those on the accompanying wine flight, a chilled glass of K-Naia 2015 D.O. Rueda.
Hake and K-Naia
A meatier course is next in the form of Slow Cooked Iberian Pig Cheeks glazed with a rich Pedro Ximenez sauce. If you’ve never tried this sweet, dark sherry, we recommend you purchase a bottle soon to enjoy as an ingredient or an after dinner treat. It makes a perfect partner for the deliciously tender meat, especially when complemented by a glass of Gotim Bru 2012 D.O Costers del Segre.
Pig Cheeks
A house cocktail comes next to get you in the mood for dessert. This one has been crafted by La Bandera’s bar staff who put as much attention into making your drink as the kitchen do when preparing your meal. After a small break to digest a little, it’s time for dessert; Passion Fruit and White Chocolate infused custard with fresh summer berries.
Passion Fruit and White Chocolate infused custard
Alternatively, guests might prefer the ‘Miguel de Cervantes’ tasting menu (£55, or £80 with a selection of carefully chosen matching wines) which contains eight substantial courses. The first course involves the famous Spanish Black Pudding topped with fruity mango chutney and crystallised apple, which can be enjoyed alongside a crisp Manzanilla sherry.
Spanish Black Pudding
To follow comes El Molino de Viento – baby chicken salad in a tomato vinaigrette with a perfectly timed poached egg and a Creamy Courgette Soup topped with a braised scallop and black truffle pearls, followed by a palate-cleansing Lemon and Fresh Mint Sorbet.
Creamy Courgette Soup
Sticking to the Cervantes theme, the fish course is Sancho Panza; pan-fried cod with caramelised onions and sweet pepper puree. After this comes a sumptuous dish of Duck Breast in Raspberry and Red Wine sauce with crisp mangetous and mashed Canarian potatoes lightly infused with aniseed. They pair this course with a Valenciso Reserva Rioja.
Duck Breast
The pre-dessert cocktail (which happily seems to be quite the thing here) is a White Chocolate Martini followed by Dulcinea, a semi-frozen fig parfait with honey.
Fig Parfait
Hopefully we’ve given you a real taste of what to expect from a visit to La Bandera; a warm and traditional Iberian welcome, delicious (and pretty) traditional dishes, exceptional Spanish wines and a deeper understanding of what makes these islands so popular.
La Bandera is at 2 Ridgefield (off King Street), Manchester city centre, M2 6EQ.
Baby Chicken Salad
Cocktails
Cod
Pulpos en dos Cocciones
