La farola in Islington

Really nice - good food - good location

Very delicious and innovative Spanish food (with variety of vegetarian options) amazing service, great atmosphere. Would definitely come again.

Love this place......drop the mike!

The food was good, but it was overpriced. The service was fast, but almost too fast. As soon as we finished eating, they cleared our plates, brought the bill, and the card machine. When I told them we weren't finished, another waiter came to take our payment despite his colleague telling him we were not finished... We came to share a meal with friends, but we felt rushed, even though there was no one waiting for our table. We ordered 2-3 tapas each, drinks, and dessert. There was no need to rush us out! Overall, it wasn't a very 'suave' experience for a Spanish restaurant. I will not come back to this restaurant.

Went for lunch today Food is seriously good.

Beautiful spot especially in the sunshine

We were a group of more than 20 people and they gave us a long table, the space was really very narrow, also after we were already seated and organized the food was not bad, but the worst of all was the attention since when another group arrived of people began to move us to take away one of the tables we had, so we were even tighter, some of us at the ends of the table, and if they had asked our permission it would have been respectful but no! They simply told us to stop because they needed a table, very bad service, I don't recommend it at all!

Grear atmosphere but the food left us unfulfilled. Portions were incredibly small and food was overcooked. Around 1 hr they pressure you to pay and leave - even though there are 10 empty tables. Probably would not come back

I love it here, but if the kitchen closes at 10 that's fine, just don't say 10:30 on the website, it's so disappointing to go out of your way to get somewhere to be let down.

Exceptional vibe, speedy service and deliciously balanced food.

Had to leave a review after eating here today for lunch before all the dishes were insanely good!!! I had the cod and my friend had the calamari. We shared the patatas bravas, chorizo and hummus (star of the show) and some croquettes. Small portions but presented beautifully and seasoned so well. I recommend highly if you want quality over quantity!

Good food, we had the chorizo, octopus, tortilla, and fried squid. Everything tasted good, quite a busy bar and it was nice to sit outside

We pre booked and was warmly welcomed when we arrived to our table by the open window/door. It was fantastic from the start, the staff are very friendly and helpful, we ordered loads of food and everything tasted great. The cocktails are a must when going here, packs great flavours in them! This place is great for any group size, you can eat individual dishes to yourself or just order loads and stick them in the middle for everyone to share, so it suits even single dinners to a large group and for any occasion too, we look forward to returning here soon!

A surprising lil gem. Sat outside, good food at a reasonable price too.

Attentive service, good quality food. I will go back to this restaurant

Staff are so friendly & really made this a great experience. Food is overall quite tasty, but definitely a little pricey for the portion sizes. Sangria was great;) Would not recommend going on a really hot day as it was almost unbearably hot at times inside for us

2024 edit: prices have gone up, food quality and quantity down. Cocktails are now £15 each, west end prices yet the quantity and quality are low. Been coming here for years and the food and service hasn’t changed - stayed at the same amazing level! It would be great to see the menu expanding a little as I believe it was reduced during the pandemic.

Best tapas place in London. Lots of other fancier ones but La Farola is the most delicious with the best energy and staff

Really nice tapas restaurant with a good variety of tasty dishes. Like all tapas places the costs mount up, bit it seems worth it.

I really liked this place and enjoyed the food, recommend the salmon toast and cappuccino soo tasty.

Very kind & polite staff Food quality was 5/5

Lovely dishes with excellent wine pairing 🍷👌

Stuffed artichoke flower with honey drizz is AMAZING. Great cocktails too.

If I could I wouldn't give it a single star. We didn't finish the food because of its poor quality. They sell squid and present you with fried squid, something that is completely different in Spanish cuisine; the Galician-style octopus comes with 5 pieces of octopus and the same number of fried potatoes, not cooked for £18; Black rice without any flavor and with fried squid on top of the rice. We also ordered broccoli, cod and croquettes. It leaves a lot to be desired and to say that in my 5 years in London I have not seen anything more embarrassing. Overprice compared to quality. I would avoid it at all costs.

Great food and service. Very busy and booking recommended

Great restaurant for a fab range of tasty tapas. Been a few times when I stay in Islington and always great service, buzzy and yummy.

Go to place for a treat. Great atmosphere.

The food is not great. It is pricey and portions are extremely small. The gambas dish is £14.50 and consists of 4 (!!!) overcooked tasteless gambas drowned in olive oil. The pulpo £18 is embarrassing for how little is. I think there were 10 pieces altogether between some patata brava and a chopped leg of the pulpo. Was it nice? No. Tortilla was salty. Bocarones were not baby squid just regular squid. I don’t think none of these were fresh food. Ambient: loud music that we asked to turn down but it did not happen. Yes the staff asked whether all was good and we just nodded because the problem was not with one dish, it was all of them. And for the quality and quantity it is expensive. In a previous review someone says it good value for money. I live and work in London and Barrafina is one of my favourites. The gambas there cost £18 and it is paradise. This one? I felt ripped off.

We really enjoyed all our food and drinks - the pan con tomate, arroz Nero, patatas bravas, mushroom croquettes and gambas are particularly noteworthy. Staff was very friendly and accommodating, considering we had two babies in strollers by our side. Will be back for sure!

Had delicious plates of sauteed prawns and grilled octopus along with a couple of lovely drinks for evening tapas, a tasty snack while catching up with a mate. The service was friendly and the atmosphere relaxed and the menu highlights all potential food allergens. Highly recommend!

Delicious Tapas with great beer on tap. The staff is accommodating and super friendly. The squid is to die for!

This place is great! Mehmet is a great waiter and the food was amazing! X

Been here a few times but the last visit was out of order, had to sit at a dirty table, vaiter did not acknowledge us, when requested basic coctails they said they cannot do a cuba libre…. Basically coke and rum….. strangely when asked they did have the ingredients. Finally they realised they can serve us with it. Bad service! Sorry guys, need some improvement…

Stumbled across this quaint place searching for a quick bite for brunch whilst out and about running errands. Sat by the open window at the front in the glorious sunshine watching the world go by. The service was attentive and the food arrived very quickly. I chose the ‘Spanglish brunch’ which arrived looking amazing. Vibrant colours of the chorizo sausages and fresh fried eggs together with some good quality sourdough bread. It tasted just as good as it looked. Very impressive and of very high quality. Would definitely recommend.

The first thing we noticed was how loud the restaurant is. We asked 3 times for the music to be turned down but waiters ignored requests. The food came out in a piecemeal way... yes, I know its tapas style, but the broccoli came first, followed shortly by rice dish (which one of us couldn’t eat due to allergies), waited...the chops came a while after, by which time the broccoli had gone cold. The waiters forgot the chicken and the request to have the sauce on the side (due to allergy), and the bread finally came last. We'd ordered another dish but got bored of asking and waiting. The waiter said, you didn't remind me to get your dishes (??). The food itself was pretty decent but the slowness and forgetful service, meant dishes weren't as hot as they should be and the group came away not totally full. If you're not overly hungry and only ordering a couple of dishes, and don't mind loud music, then this place is worth a visit. If starving and hard of hearing, this place would be a struggle.

I was in town for an Arsenal match. I Walked here from my hotel and was absolutely taken care of from the minute I walked in. The food was fabulous, the management and staff made it home. ❤️🙏🏻🫵🏻

Food was really good. Would go for the red sangria over white

Tasty mocktails and food! The padron peppers were especially delicious

An absolutely gorgeous time here. The weather outside was grim, pouring with rain. Stopped in and were seated efficiently. Every plate was gorgeous, from the padron peppers (best I’ve ever had) to the squid ink risotto, steak, chicken thighs and cheese plate. Cocktails were fabulous and well made. A welcome and delicious visit on a rainy day in London and looking forward to going back again. Highly recommend. Espresso martini to finish off was beautiful.

The drink was pretty damn good but the cups were Small, not hipster small but not a normal size either.

The service, food, and atmosphere are good, but man, this place is expensive. The Spanish restaurant Barrafina (1 star michelin and probably one of the best Spanish restaurants in London) is just 10-15% more expensive and food is much better and fresher (as one of the reviewers said, their potatoes look like they were reheat). I would come back for the food if it was cheaper, but at this price I can much better value for my money elsewhere.

Fine food, some of it tasted a bit warmed up rather than freshly prepared ( for example the patatas bravas tasted as though they'd been fried at least a couple hours ago), nothing was absolutely delicious -- though the mushroom croquettes were pretty tasty. Most of the food was quite samey and not notable, which doesn't seem fair for the prices. Cost nearly 100 quid for three people and no drinks. I know London's expensive but that just seems like a price that would warrant at least some fresher ingredients idk. The salad was pretty good as well, but the pan con tomate was quite soggy and the crackers served with the manchegan (tasty) cheese were for some reason encrusted with sugar. Not really my taste I guess. Anyways, it was alright, but I just think for the price it's not worth it at all.

The food was generally very good. Great meat dishes and lovely battered squid. The Spanish tortilla was ok but couldn't taste any potatoes, seemed much more eggy than tortillas I've had elsewhere. We were keen to order a jug of sangria but at £34 a jug we were not impressed! We have been elsewhere for much less. Yes, this place is in a nice neighbourhood but the price of some dishes and especially the drinks seemed to be a little extortionate. Nice cosy inside atmosphere although very loud on a Saturday evening so be prepared to raise your voice to hear anyone else across the table.

My favourite lunch and brunch place in Islington! the Spanglish breakfast on the weekends is amazing!

Unbelievable tapas...everything we tried was great...also a really friendly atmosphere

Our first visit to La Farola. Interior is nice and welcoming. Felt comfortable. Really cosy at night with the fairy lights outside and little table top lamps inside. The tapa's were excellent, particularly liked the Chorizo dish. Everything was beautifully presented. Service was with a smile. We will most definitely be returning when in the neighbourhood again.

Fantastic stop on upper street with chic interior and tables outside. We had the lunch deal for £10 + £2.50 with a coffee or soft drink. I had the chicken thighs and my husband had chorizo. They came with potatoes, salad and rice, it was an excellent combination. The meat was tender and well seasoned. The rice was soft, fluffy and tasty. The potatoes were seasoned well and the salad complimented the meal. I even sought the Chef out to thank him as it was very well deserved. An excellent choice and when in London next we will visit again as upper street has so much to offer.

My friend and I ate in this restaurant over the weekend. I have to say the food was very tasty but the portions are ridiculously small. We ordered about 6 plates to share and we left hungry. Everything was literally bite size. We thought it was very expensive for what we ate aswell which added insult to injury. We will not be returning unfortunately.

Highly recommend this restaurant. Met by Memhit, lovely, friendy and very accommodating. Food absolutely lovely. £45/ head. Lunchtime menu. Paul

A few of us went impromptu on a Friday night and we were lucky to score a table for 3 as it was almost full. The atmosphere is really buzzy and the service is really friendly and efficient. There’s a great selection of tapas, all tasty and well presented. A fun evening and good value. The music was a tad too loud for us, but we’re old….

Absolutely love it here. Food and vibe are great as is the service. That manchengo cheesecake is a winner as are the garlic prawns

Great food and staff, and it’s a good to dine in but also great delivered, the prawns are my favourite. Plus they very kindly gave us free popcorn for being loyal customers. A really good and reliable spot

Outstanding food, perfect ambians Recommended to all Mediterranian lovers

Food was good especially for the lunch menu. It has to be described as excellent value for money. Keen service & we were made to feel really welcomed. Cocktail was a bit expensive, but to be expected as it is London.

Warm welcome and friendly staff, quite an intimate little restaurant with a cosy vibe. Food wise I didn't think it was particularly special and found the menu to be quite limited compared to others I had visited. Meat balls were very average with little flavour, chicken croquettes were the same. We also ordered the prawns but they came out 40 mins after the rest of out food , by this time we had finished so sent them back. Wouldn't rush back and feel there are much better / authentic options in London when it comes to tapas.

They don't reserve a table even of you made a reservation in advance. Whoever comes first takes the good tables. Music choice through out the evening was not consistant. Food and atmosphere are good in general.

Fantastic early evening visit, cant fault anything it was all good especially the chorizo with beans.

We’ve been here a few times. There aren’t that many tapas places around and we love Spanish food. The food and atmosphere are always superb and it’s also great value. We have young kids and the turnaround time on the food is also really quick. If you’re after authentic Spanish food in a relaxed environment then this place is great! It’s always busy which is a tell tale sign….

This restaurant has a very pleasant atmosphere and decor. The food was also tasty and very fresh. Service was excellent. Only thing is that patatas fritas and the salad had too much salt.

Nice Spanish place on Upper Street. The ox cheek croquettes are fantastic. The food is good. The octopus and the squid ink rice are very good.

Benefits from a great location, but sadly the food falls flat. Have tried twice now with my Spanish friends and it's agreed it lacks flavour and authenticity.

Very good food, very good atmosphere a bit overpriced but worth a visit.

Great atmosphere and lovely food! The staff was very nice and accommodating for a late reservation as well. Can’t wait to come back.

A bit pricey but very tasty food cosy atmosphere friendly staff a good restaurant.

The atmosphere for this place was lovely and it had a great selection to choose from on the menu. I went on a weekend for lunch at 1pm and it wasn't too crowded at all. Service was quick and staff were helpful in recommendations. Food itself was well made but not WOW or memorable by any means. Portions weren't the biggest. Between the two of us we ordered four plates and two drinks and paid around £85. Great for family, friends or even date night. Would go again for a nice occasion.

⠀ A very delicious and quiet restaurant, with traditional Spanish tapas-type food. I feel like it's the perfect place for lunch/dinner on Sunday. The people are super friendly and I loved all the dishes I ordered. ⠀ Highlights: - Spectacular Iberian ham - Grilled chorizo -Sangria

Food was delicious! Spanish omelette was great. The vegan mushroom croquettes with dried black olives… best food I’ve had in a longtime. Lovely staff too.

Fantastic! Nice warm Welcome from Friendly staff. Interesting menu and specials board. Loved the seafood, jamon and cockle croquetas!

Being Spanish, I must say they have one of the best tortillas de patatas I’ve ever tried!! 100% recommended

Cena. Ci fanno accomodare fuori. 3 minuti e spengono le luci. Chiediamo di essere spostati all’interno per poter “vedere”. Ordiniamo ad una cameriera che sicuramente avrebbe voluto essere da tutt’altra parte. Assente! Ci vengono portati i piatti e ci viene detto che, se volevamo altro, avremmo dovuto dirlo subito perché la cucina chiudeva. Chiaramente abbiamo mangiato in fretta quello che avevamo ordinato, abbiamo pagato e siamo usciti. Sinceramente molto poco professionale e poco accogliente .lo staff

Great food, lovely staff and service. There’s music playing though and it can be loud if the restaurant is full, so if you’re looking for a calm, relaxed atmosphere this is something to keep in mind.

Friendly staff unfortunately the food is very bad on 6 dishes just 2 were ok . For 2 ppl we spend £47 and we left very disappointed

Delicious food, great selection of vegi options as well. Quite pricey but in line with other places in the area.

Good service and very nice food. I did not get the vibe with the choice of music in the restaurant. However, I still very much enjoyed my evening there

Superb spot on Islington road to enjoy tapas, mojitos, wine and sangria with friends. Superb ambience.

Great experience. Staff was very friendly. We didnt try a lot of tapas but the courgette with honey and goat cheese was nice. Lively vibe on a Friday evening. They had 2 for 1 offer on cocktails.

We were looking for a chill restaurant but we ended up in a trash disco music place with food provided. Very nonsense loud music that ruined our 15 minutes dinner. We ordered a fried honey glazed flower as a starter, the ox cheek on parmesan cream ,the black ink squid risotto (arroz negro) and a margarita and a Negroni to drink. The cheese stuffed flower arrived after 2 minutes. Over oiled, heavy but not very bad tbh. Ox cheek (alone) arrived 2 minutes after we finished the starter. I had that dish before and I was simply delighted by it in the past. Unfortunately that lovely experience belongs to the past. Finally they managed to deliver our cocktails (after the starter and ox cheek?!) Negroni was just too disappointing to be true and margarita just fine. The arroz negro arrived 2 minutes after we finished the ox cheek (yes, the 2 mains arrived one next to each others). Like the ox cheeks, the good taste memories unfortunately gone away. Rice overcooked, way too much lemon and not enough sauce to contrast it. For some reasons they decided we had to share the main dishes and then the cocktails had to be served nearly at the end of the dinner. This whole "fast food experience" finished in like half an hour. I appreciate it was Friday night (21:30ish ) but the place was nearly empty, so there was no reason for such a rushed service. We felt like they wanted to get rid of us asap. Sadly the quality of the food went significantly down and the disco club atmosphere was not what we were looking for and it doesn't definitely suit this place. + £27 each... It was one of my favourite places but I've been extremely disappointed about everything. I really hope it'll be back like it used to be. P.s. The picture of Ox cheek with peas is the "new version", the other ox cheek pictures is the one I fell in love with but no longer available apparently...

Food was amazing and reasonably priced for the quality. Local fave and will deffo be going back a lot. Service was fab and drinks great too, 10/10

We are in London on a hen do. We turned up to the venue (a pun) to find that it had changed management, no kitchen no afternoon tea…. Bride is marrying a Spanish chap so we looked up Tapas for an emergency delivery. La Farola Tapas food was AMAZING we ordered a big range it was all fresh and incredibly tasty. I called and explained how we were let down by the pub and the person at La Farola said Sainsbury’s was opposite and he got plates to go with our food. Going above and beyond this business saved our afternoon and we all had great fun thanks so much!!!!!

Herşey mükemmeldi. Yemekler, servis, atmosfer… Eksik yoktu. Tekrar Londra’ya gelirsem, yeniden gideceğim bir restoran.

All the food was very delicious and the staff was very polite,,,(5 friends went to the restaurant,,, a friend made the payment and didn't tell us how much )

La comida estaba muy buena, aunque el pan tumaca sabía extraño por alguna razón. La camarera era muy maja y el ambiente era muy bonito

Great experience. Party of 3. Albondigas, croquetas and tortilla good and tasty. The Ox Cheek and the chorizo were amazing. Good service, kind staff... Music was a bit loud.

I had a drink and nibbles with a friend. Expensive restaurant, the music is too loud. But service is great and quick.

Visited again after a year as i had a lovely experience last time. Unfortunately it took a while for staff to notice our order (had to notify them we wanted to move inside so they finally got our food order). Tapas seemed too adjust to British cuisine which did not highliged the authenticity and vibe I got before. Alioli is not alioli, is garlic mayo and portions were rather small. I got to say that croquetas were on the spot also the tortilla but aside from that nothing else was outstabding (perhaps we did not order well)

Not authentic Spanish food. Slow service.

Para nada sabor a cocina española, un poco decepcionante porque el restaurante es agradable y el lugar muy bueno

Love the vibe and food here. Straight forward no complication kinda food yet delicious. Service was wonderful too. Would definitely come back.

Paid around £37 for two tapas dishes and a non-alcoholic cocktail. Way too expensive.

Lovely atmosphere and service but me and my partner got food poisoning, possibly due to the ink of the “arroz negro” wasn’t cooked properly. - been sick and bad stomach all weekend. If not cooked correctly can be poisoning. Food wasn’t amazing - overpriced for the quality. Wouldn’t repeat.

Really nice staff, excellent food and fast service. A little pricey but definitely worth it.

Booked based on the positive reviews here. On arrival you’ll notice the tables are tiny and you wonder how on earth your various tapas can fit in such a small area. The answer is that the dishes are commensurately minuscule, even by tapas standard, but are priced to make you expect much more. Three tiny chicken skewers £9; four modest prawns £14.50, plus service. The experience doesn’t match the price tag and the chairs are uncomfortable. Bavette steak is served to their liking, not yours, with no preference on ordering. I ask: medium rare apparently, which is fine. It arrives cold to the touch. Sent back, returns as the same piece of steak and equally cold, and so are the potato shavings with it. It’s meant to be that way, I’m told, because of the dressing. Coldness is the theme, as otherwise lovely, if small, ox cheek croquettes are similarly dampened with cold tomato sauce. The portions really are tiny, so much so that if you have a decent appetite you’ll want to be ordering four or five plates each to leave satisfied, but your bill will be well into three figures by then… which is fine, but not for a glorified cafe. Manager apologetic, steak removed from bill, and two aperitif on the house for which I’m grateful, but nevertheless out the door £80 lighter and still hungry.

I called in advance to check they catered for gluten allergies and cross-contamination. They said they did. No caveats whatsoever. When I was there I asked to speak to a manager about my allergy as the restaurant was very busy. I was initially told it was fine but then the same guy who claimed to be "one of the managers" repeatedly smirked while he told me the kitchen was small and at busy times they can't keep things separate enough. When I said I'd called in advance and asked, he continued to smirk while telling me that they can only do it when they're not busy. This is relatively small restaurant - they'll never not be busy. Basically, they couldn't bothered to be careful. The constant smirking when I said we'd travelled all the way was just so unnecessary. To add insult to injury, when rushing out of there on a Saturday evening to find a more tolerant restaurant, I dropped my card. On my way back, they claimed they didn't have it even though it wasn't on the floor so it had obviously been picked up. After I cancelled it, and had travelled back home, I received a call that they had it.

The food was tasty, the service was decent. However, we felt the portions and prices were a different story. We even felt cheated with some of the prices. E.g literally 10 small calamaris for 9 pounds. Almost 1 pounds per calamari. Well overpriced.

Amazing tapas. Lovely service. Great environment.

Lovely food.great service.great atmosphere

Cosy place with very good food. Croquettes with Harmon were amazing. Recommend it.

Had some tapas there and food was soooo delicious and filling. Service was also super fast and staff were friendly. The squid ink paella was really good. Would definitely go again.

Very cute place. Delicious food and drinks

Place is a bit basic.. if you are a foodie don't bother. Just overpriced upper street.