Twist: Cozy Local Restaurant in Marylebone serving Tapas with a Twist.

A new restaurant called Twist recently opened on Crawford Street in Marylebone and I decided to try them out for brunch.

My order of ‘Twisted Eggs’ - baked eggs in a pan with tomatoes and marjoram leaves - were delicious and made me keen to check them out for dinner. The restaurant has a warm cozy atmosphere and the staff are friendly and attentive. I liked the rustic decor of the place though be warned – there are one or two tables with some uncomfortable chairs!

The next time at a dinner I discovered the menu, despite having a quite few Spanish dishes, is less about serving quintessential Spanish tapas and more about ‘fusion tapas' (in their own words). There’s a mix of Asian and Mediterranean dishes - I guess this allows the chefs more creativity.  

'Twisted Eggs'

We started with some classic pardron peppers and some Jamon Iberico. I’m a big fan of croquetas and their delicate crumb fried Cavolo Nero Croquetas with Ramesco sauce were delicious. A must-order dish.

Ahi Tuna with Yuzu Dressing

We then had Sea bass Ceviche with fennel, radish and black current – a very pretty looking dish with spirals of fennel and radish creating a charming visual but that aside, it was a bit disappointing since the sea bass got lost among all those spirals and the combination didn’t work. I liked Ahi Tuna with a Yuzu dressing but it wasn't especially memorable. 

Sea Bass Ceviche with Fennel, Radish & Blackcurrent

I’m happy to report though the rest of the dishes didn’t disappoint. The marbled skirt steak marinated in smoked garlic and parsley was seriously succulent and juicy (I wish the portion size was bigger) and the Pig’s Cheek with shallots and ham was exactly how you would imagine it to be – slow cooked meat that literally dissolves in your mouth. 

In an attempt to have a balanced meal we ordered some rather nice roasted vegetables and truffled potatoes. Desserts were also good -  we had the the Salted Chocolate tart and the Granny smith Pannacotta.

Salted Chocolate Tart & Apple Pannacotta

Cavolo Nero Croquetas

Overall, a pleasant dinner though given the whole tapas concept you tend to order a lot more dishes since the portions are small and in the end the bill was much higher than I expected (around £50 per person with a bottle of wine). Still I think Twist on Crawford Street is welcome addition to the neighbourhood if you live in Marylebone or near Edgware road. 

It’s got the nice relaxing atmosphere of a neighbourhood local with friendly staff where you can aalways manage to get a table. Since they are new, I hope in the next few months they can fix their weak dishes - I think with their chef’s creativity around flavours, this little local restaurant has a lot of potential.