Finally. Iberica has been open in Manchester a full year and yes, despite getting their mailouts and following them on social media, it’s taken me beyond their first anniversary to find time to visit.
I’m disappointed in myself. Particularly given that they have a small but select gin selection.
No matter, I finally made it. For those of you who haven’t already beaten me to it, the inside is vibrant, with red and white, lots of wood and a high ceiling in the bar area, giving it an airy feel.
There’s a mixture of seating too, so whilst my date and I perched on bar stools enjoying the sunshine streaming through the window, other visitors chose the low Chesterfield style seating.
Gin of course was first on the agenda. Though the selection in Iberica is relatively small – in the teens, it’s beautifully varied, with a range of Spanish gins, such as Gin Mare and Xoriguer, as well as a more British range with Silent Pool and Martin Miller’s.
Each gin has a recommended serve, with some more exotic than others. I must admit I was tempted by the Silent Pool with G&T jelly, whilst my date went for 69 Brosses with a distinctly more savoury twist.
They were delicious and very different. The Brosses was given a stronger citrus hit with the orange peel and the herbal notes of the lemon thyme, whilst the Silent Pool had a distinctly sweet fruit edge. As we sampled the jelly – more like a gel – we became somewhat fascinated with it – so much so that we discovered it’s possible to purchase a jar from Iberica directly, and it happens to go beautifully with cured beef – one of their delicious pinchos.
Speaking of pinchos, it was a while to dinner and whilst we ordered a second G&T, we also indulged in selecting some nibbles. As usual my favourite Padron peppers were high on the list with their bitter, salty, ‘green’ flavour, alongside some daintily deep fried baby squid – crisp yet soft and tender.
There was also the poshest cheese on toast I think we’ve ever experienced. Green asparagus with manchego, onion confit and truffl e oil. The truffle oil gently wafted from the kitchen behind the bar, tempting us, but it couldn’t prepare us for the dish itself. Crisp fresh aspargus, salty cheese, sweet confit and the earthiness of the truffle oil made this downright delicious. How we managed to share it, I’m still not sure.
Our second G&T selections arrived just in time to save us from forks at dawn. I had opted for the Hibiscus Siderit, a gin from Northern Spain infused with 12 botanicals (juniper, coriander, rock tea, cardamom, angelica root, cinnamon, bitter orange peel, mandarin peel, pink pepper, raw marcona almond and iris root and hibiscus) it contains a stronger level of the latter than their standard gin and so Iberica had garnished my drink with dried hibiscus, cardamom and lime.
My date, however was on a distinctly savoury tour of the menu and selected the Barber’s Gin, served with lemon, bay leaf and juniper berries. A distinctly umami take on a traditional London Dry G&T.
By this point, my date was almost ready to leave me, and my second date (I know, two in one night – popular girl) was heading in to join me. But she couldn’t resist one more before she left and as we were bound by curiousity, we turned to the cocktail menu. All of the cocktails have a distinctly Spanish twist. So rather than a negroni simply being a blend of Campari gin and vermouth, this includes Pacharin a liqueur made from crushed and fermented sloes – a perfect accompaniment to gin, and offering the drink an extra layer of rich flavour.
It also means that the Old Fashioned contains a little extra something too. As well as being smoked (using hickory, apple and cherry woods), it also contains brandy, again giving it an extra layer of flavour. I must admit, we’re looking forward to a repeat bar visit – there’s a Martini with my name on it.
As the sun began to set in the sky, my second date arrived and we headed upstairs for dinner. Though I was a little loathe to leave my perch, upstairs the seating is lower and more plush – given I’m not the tallest of ladies, it was probably best (certainly after three drinks) to sit a little lower down.
As you’d expect, you can eat flexibly in Iberica. If you prefer, you can have a starter, main and dessert – however, for us tapas was perfect for us to pick at whilst we picked apart the day over a glass of red (my date had some catching up to do).
The meat and cheese platter was first on the list. Spanish cured meats – including chorizo and cecina, alongside Spanish cheeses with a side of quince jelly started us off nicely. The platter was generous and delicious – perfect for those of us who can’t help but pick at nibbles.
To accompany this, we had toasted bread with tomato – for someone who doesn’t like fresh tomatoes (no seriously, I don’t) this is perfect. The warm crisp bread just works with the soft tomato and the crushed texture means I don’t pull a face like a two year old faced with a sprout. No seriously, this tomato I like.
Croquettes were next on the list. There is nothing quite like these little parcels of breadcrumbs filled with a rich bechamel dotted with ham. The challenge is not to eat them while they’re still too hot, so you avoid burning your mouth. Unlike my experience elsewhere, these were the perfect temperature and we could indulge at our leisure.
Perhaps the most intriguing dish was the chorizo lollipops – sweet batter, salty spiced, oily pork and intensely garlicky aioli. They’re rich, so three is your maximum, but my god they’re good. Dirty in a good way.
Our final indulgence was again seafood – black rice with squid and prawns, and a dollop of that ‘proper’ aioli. I haven’t had prawns that tender for such a long time. The squid was perfect, the prawns absolutely perfect.
We couldn’t leave without dessert, though our tummies protested, we decided to share a dish.
A chocolate dessert felt too heavy an option, so the Gloria cheesecake with parmesan, sorbet and dried strawberries sounded perfect. It was perhaps the one disappointing dish of the entire experience. The sorbet made the fat in the cheesecake and indeed in the parmesan solidify, making it a chewy, rather unpleasant experience. Which was a shame as the cheese and the cheesecake worked beautifully. It’s perhaps a dish that needs a little tweak to make it work.
Overall, we had a bloody lovely evening. The gins were a hit, as were the cocktails, and the food was fantastic, despite the cheesecake not working for us. And I’m definitely heading back soon to indulge in one of their tasting evenings.
As Spanish seems to be the theme in Manchester at the moment, with El Gato, La Vina, Evuna, and Lunya (to name a few) proving popular, I’m beginning to think it’s time I started to learn the language.
Hasta la vista.
With thanks to Iberica for the invitation, the food and drinks.
This meal and accompanying drinks were supplied for free by Iberica. As ever, this doesn’t guarantee a positive review (if anything, I tend to be a harsher critic).
We were very impressed by the service, food and drinks (especially) and are definitely keeping this on the revisit list. How it compares to other Spanish venues in the city – well, I’ve not been to them all yet.