Tinto Wine Kitchen - Islington

We visited this restaurant on a Saturday night and were a bit late for our table reservation, but the waiters were very accommodating and did their best to seat us. We started with two glasses of fizzy rose at a reasonable price. We shared a few tapas dishes, the wagyu beef was delicious and we particularly enjoyed the mini black lobster burger. For dessert, we shared a Santiago almond tart which was perfectly soft, and finished with some dessert wine. I would recommend this restaurant to tapas lovers and those looking for a change from the usual chain/franchise restaurants in London.

In Islington, there are 122 restaurants, but only 5 make the top lists. Tinto consistently earns its spot year after year with its unique take on tapas. This restaurant is not just excellent at serving tapas; it is an excellent restaurant overall. The focus and passion of the chefs turn small plates into works of art. Tinto offers a captivating fusion of Eastern and Western flavors, featuring dishes like gyozas, charcuterie, and naughty small plates such as a mini tarragon hamburger with coleslaw, followed by scallops with wild mushrooms and garnished with parsley and garlic on a charcoal flower. Another standout dish is the excellent beef tataki with horseradish and green apple ponzu sauce.

Islington is known to be one of the most challenging places to open and sustain a new restaurant. Unlike opening a high-end restaurant in Chelsea or a trendy street food spot in Shoreditch, Islington offers a diverse dining scene with a mix of local favorites. Just four years ago, aside from Ottolenghi, there wasn't much buzz about dining options in the area. However, now there is a vibrant dining scene with well-loved restaurants and top-notch cuisine. Tinto, formerly known as Como 3, had a confusing menu that didn't quite hit the mark. But recently, they made the smart decision to rebrand as Tinto, a name that sticks in your memory.

The worst service in london and mediocre food to boot the eating is expensive, small, basic tapas, and if you want to make a strange selection of Japanese food we went for the former and had to send back our iberico ham, which was thick, oily, chewing and much like iron. we also had a “special” that consisted of over cooked and cold ducks – four thin slices for 12 pounds?! we have starved so that we ate it anyway, but our very nice waitress said what we thought was the worst part of our night but still to come the service from the manager. the bill arrived and we were ready to pay when a second bill arrived with the additional 12.5% service. we were surprised that the bill...read more

Islington must be one of the hardest places to open a new restaurant, and keep it afloat. It's not like opening a fine dining restaurant in Chelsea, or a street food sensation in Shoreditch Islington really is diverse with its food offerings, and its locals. Four years ago and apart from Ottolenghi there was really nothing to shout about in the area. Now, there is an abundance of well followed restaurants and top chefs. Tinto was previously known as Como 3 and at which point according to the Internet had a very confusing menu that hadn't quite found its feet. They recently decided to change the name to Tinto a much better choice that has a very memorable ring to it I can't...read more