Pintxos are typical Basque country snacks, which are mainly a great way of socialising, eating slowly, drinking and having a chat. And that’s exactly what PIX does. It does not feel like you are in the Basque country in this restaurant, with modern music playing in the background, a hip crowd and the set up/decor is very modern. The one thing that annoyed me was the popularity of this place (which is obviously good for them), as I wanted to sit there all night, drink lots and non-stop eating, but the tables have a ninety minute turnaround which we outstayed and caused a Queue, Sorry PIX! However, seeing how busy this place gets this is totally understandable.
We were seated, so it seemed at the best spot, not tucked away at the back and within easy reach of the food, near the bar and good lighting. There is no menu per se in this place (you can look on line at their menu) and I am sure you could ask for one. There is no need for a menu as when you walk in the bar is filled with an array of their cold Pintxos, and the hot dishes come around the restaurant as and when they are cooked, which is dangerously addictive as you think, hmm what if that dish doesn’t come back out later when I’m more hungry, I think we managed to hit nearly 30 Pintxos!
Price wise any Pintxos with a large skewer in them are £2.75 and small Skewers £1.95, keep hold of your skewers (do not put them in your pocket) and then priced up at the end. Wine starts from a reasonable £18 a bottle, we opted for the Campo Verdejo Sauvignon from Castilla which was Organic, £19.50 and very pleasant for the price.
The food itself was generally of a good standard. The first hot dish we snapped up from the waiter was a chilli chicken kebab with a mint and coriander shot, the chicken was very tender, the yogurt shot flavoursome but the yogurt was far too intense and could have been a bit sourer, also the dish was not very Spanish. The Diablo meatballs were nice, but again did not come across as very Spanish in style and the slice of garlic bread was oh so British! How about a nice slice of pan con tomato chucked on top or some delicious rustic bread?
The Gazpacho Martini was delicious, loaded with garlic, lovely slumps of bread and roughly blended ingredients gave it a real rustic feel, the Martini glass it was in reminded me I was still in London.
The peppers stuffed with goat’s cheese and pine nuts was really delicious, a lovely sweet pepper, slightly warm oozing with the mild goats cheese and pine nuts and coated with some sort of sweet glaze, very nice. The hot honey and rosemary calamari, which we grabbed from a passing waiter, had a lovely thin and crispy batter, not overcooked or chewy. Thoroughly enjoyable and I wanted a second helping.
The different types of toppings on ‘crusty bread’ were very nice and I was pleasantly surprised, the fig with foie gras mouse and Iberico Ham topped with a quails egg were my personal favourites. One of the companions I was with insisted on eating their way through a small family of pigs and Spain’s cheese production by devouring as many quince coated Manchego and chorizo skewers, which were ok by drinking standards but the Chorizo was just not up to scratch and definitely needs improving.
Desserts consisted of an Espresso chocolate cup, summer fruit Chantilly and my all-time Spanish classic, Churros with Chocolate. Unfortunately, the Churros are served cold and Churros should ONLY be served hot, this was a major let down.
Overall I would return to PIX as this is a great watering hole, with a good selection of food, some good, some bad and some delicious. I need to remind myself that this is not your authentic Basque restaurant but a modern take. Nothing is wrong with the food here, it could just be improved, some fresher, tastier bread, good quality Chorizo and a larger selection of sherry’s. It’s a great place to eat and drink in Soho and I will be back, with friends.
6/10
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