There’s a different offer on every day this week
Dan Lindsay and Jacque Ferreira with the Bar Iberico team
First it was Pilot with rottisserie chicken and prosecco on tap, then Pico, part eatery, part deli. Neither lasted more than a year in Hockley.
Then came along Bar Iberico in 2016. “I had lots of people tell me the site was cursed and that we wouldn’t make it work when we opened.
“The day we opened, no one came through the door and then about and hour or two later it was completely full and stayed that way for the foreseeable,” said restaurateur Dan Lindsay.
“We were caught off-guard with how busy it was actually when we first opened and how much appetite there was for it. Our feet didn’t touch the ground for about a month actually and demand was a lot higher than we expected so it was great.”
The tapas bar, in CarIton Street, was a more casual, laid-back version complementing sister restaurant IIberico World Tapas in High Pavement, which was over-subscribed.
Co-owner and executive chef Jacque Ferreira drew up the menu and the general manager at the time was Richard Ford, who is now operations manager of the three sites, which also includes Mexican restaurant Taquero in Heathcoat Street.
Now, proving the doomsayers wrong, the popular award-winning restaurant is celebrating 10 years on Thursday, August 20 and in that time they have seen a cool one million diners, including Nottingham actor Vicky McClure and the new Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner.
Many of the 2,000 who step inside weekly — or sit on the terrace — will have consumed the famous crispy chicken with spicy Jerez sauce, or the vegetarian alternative, crispy cauliflower.
“They are by far the best-selling dishes. I vividly remember Jacque bringing that dish to me and he said he needed to do a dish that was a take on the inside out chicken wings at Iberico World Tapas.
“I said that dish is going to put us on the map. It’s going to be one of the most popular dishes in Nottingham. Those were the first words that came out of my mouth. I remember it as if it was yesterday, so it was a real pivotal thing when he brought that to me.”
The menu sees dishes come and go but the chicken and cauliflower have never left and never will.
Diners can start with snacks of Catalan tomato bread and habas fritas (fried broad beans) before moving onto tapas such as chorizo in red wine honey, lamb kofta pincho with Thai pea salsa and padron peppers. Charcuterie and cheese plus wood-fired flatbreads complete the savoury options.
Sweet treats include churros and chocolate and custard tarts and of course, sangria is plentiful and Estrella are plentiful.
Not everything has been a roaring success through. Dan said: “We went to Spain and tried a dish with baby shrimps. You fried them in a light batter and eat them whole, with the shell. It’s a snack that you have over there. We think they’re great. You put a load of lemon juice over them but it wasn’t for the Nottingham public.
“It wasn’t well-received. That dish was a bit of a low, apart from that most of the stuff we’ve done has been really good.”
The demand for tapas, both authentic Spanish and global small plates, still referred to as tapas on Greek, Cuban and Indian menus, has rocketed since Bar Iberico opened.
“It’s just a nice way to eat. It’s interesting to see how people have embraced tapas in the last 10 years. You try a lot more food, you share the food with people so you can talk about it.
“It’s just become the norm. It’s quite nice for some people because they don’t feel pressured to eat a lot of food,” said Dan.
“The place has been a bit of a phenomenon. It’s been an absolute ride and definitely hit the nail on the head with what people wanted. We really appreciate everyone’s support.
“It’s relaxed, it’s got the feel of being in Spain. The central bar was key in making it feel like a tapas place. People have become a lot more willing to sit on stools at the bar. That’s been a big change in people’s attitude towards the way you eat tapas.” he added.
A trailblazer for Hockley, the area has become THE place for a night out in Nottingham, with dozens of bars and restaurants opening along that stretch since, including 31K, Skein, Pho, Ugly Bread Bakery, Six Barrel Draughthouse, Mowgli and Pizza Pilgrims.
To celebrate the anniversary a different offer is running each day kicking off on Monday, August 17 with the £18 Menu Rapido (one snack and two tapas) running all day.
On Tuesday, the signature chicken and cauliflower dishes will be half price; Wednesday a pint of Estrella £5 all day; Thursday 20 per cent off the entire bill; and Friday a bottle of house wine £20.
