Mar I Terra - Blackfriars in Southwark

Lovely home style tapas restaurant, the food is really good and staff are friendly.

Great food!! Had such a nice time and the service was so fast for many people here!! The waiters and waitresses were lovely and had a great time.

So far best tapas place in central London

Authentic Spanish restaurant/ tapas food. Fantastic service, they are very attentive and have good recommendations for food/drink. Takes good care of all guests in the room. We were here with the children and it was very nice for them. Delicious food! Super nice atmosphere, feels like being in Spain.

Been here lots of times over the years Pre booked for today for husbands birthday lunch This place never fails to satisfy and deliver on quality Amazing food Lovely wine Great ambience Lovely friendly owner Great location Will be back Thank you so much

Excellent experience all-round. Service was great, with all staff professional, friendly and genuinely seemed to enjoy their jobs. Food was very nice and was delivered quickly and well presented. Reasonable range and enough that were suitable for kids. For London prices, I'd say value for money was decent. Venue is nice enough and is small enough to be cosy without being a squeeze.

Spanish tapas as if you were in Spain!

Amazing hidden gem. Food was so delicious. Service was impeccable..

Perfect. Food fantastic, service very nice and accommodating. You feel comfortable all around.

Sehr gute Auswahl an Spanischen Tapas, uns hat es sehr gut gefallen und die Gerichte waren lecker!

A great find. Excellent tapas dishes and food at a friendly price.

First time experiencing this cuisine. Definitely flavorful food, different and nice.

Most people write about the food, but I cherish the warmth and the hospitality this institution showers upon it's clientele. To Rafa and Poppy👌🥂 Make sure you try the chorizo, the tortilla, the Gambas, pollo croquettes and the flan

Nice quaint little. A bit rustic. Had a very nice meal, simple basic tapas. No complaints. £ 66 fir two people with a cookie of beers and a glass of wine. Not bad value in London.

Authentic tapas bar tucked away in a quiet street. Great dishes at a reasonable price

really enjoyed my meal here - it was over the summer and will probably visit again

We arranged a works meal here with about 20 of us. The food and wine were very average. However, they decided to keep giving us bottles of wine even though we had not finished the previous bottles. They obviously decided that as a large group drinking alcohol we wouldn’t notice. Well, when we told them to stop giving us more wine it didn’t go down well with the owner who was now very angry with us. When it came to the bill we noticed we had been charged double for many dishes and for the wine which we did not request. The owner obviously thought we would be too drunk to notice - nice try but some of us are tee-total and some of us were driving. We refused to pay for the extra items and this was when it turned pretty nasty. The owner was furious and verbally abusive to the point of almost physically assaulting us. This was pretty scary for us and we didn’t want any trouble so we just paid and left. Reading some of the other reviews here about the owner it seems this is a regular occurrence. Trust me, do not go to this place unless you want to be served average food and wine, charged double for it, and shouted at/almost physically assaulted by the very agressive owner…

The food, wine, service and general mood of the place couldn’t have been better. I sat at the bar and chatted to Rafa the owner and some of the regulars. Ordered the seafood rice, lamb cutlets and king prawns in oil. Flavours were amazing. Tried 3 different reds by the glass and all of them were superb. Will defo return when I’m next in the area! Thank you Rafa.

Just like being in the middle of a Spanish Town... But in London. Real, authentic Spanish Tapas. All fresh and delicious. Service was wonderful 10/10. We originally got a suitable portion for two but had to keep going back for more, it was so tasty .

Excellent tapas and wonderful staff 👍👍

This is one of those places that belies its external appearance and location. It is a genuine independent in an area dominated by chains. The food was great value, presented and served with care in a very welcoming ambience. We enjoyed a variety of tapas, cheeseboard and desserts and will undoubtedly return next time we are in the city.

Best tapas, coming from a very picky Spanish. Great staff, and Rafael, the owner for over 25 years, is a true veteran. This is the most genuine Spanish bar/restaurant you’ll find in London. Will be coming more often to this little Spanish oasis in the city. Thanks!

Visited with a small group of friends on a Thursday evening meet up, we had a great meal here, fantastic tapas and great service. I had seen Mar I Terra so many times from the train but never eaten here before. This won't be the last time!

I have been going to this place for a long time, excellent food, excellent staff

A proper old-style tapas bar in the heart of London. Quite a special find! You could easily be in Valencia...great, fun service from a lovely old Spanish guy who looks a bit scary to start with but soon warms to you if you're decent.

6/10/23 - Friday evening meal We three middle aged guys from London were being treated by a couple of friends to a meal whilst one was back down in London. It was their choice to come here as they both knew it well as one lived locally. We had seen the gable hoarding advertising the restaurant from the railway for many years, now was our chance to sample it! Our local friend booked ahead as it was a Saturday albeit early (18:15 booking) evening as one of us had only one hearing ear and cannot relax in a noisy echoey restaurant. We three arrived before our hosts to a quiet large room with only two tables occupied. We got a warm welcome from the host who seemed to be the boss and when he heard who had booked the table for us he was even more welcoming! We were shown a table inside and sat down. Before we knew it our local friend arrived and there were warm handshakes all round between him and the (confirmed) boss, Raphael. We decided together to have a look outside as it was not at all cold and our friend warned it would get busy and noisy inside. We found the garden to be empty but convivial and sat at the far end. Within a few minutes our other friend arrived and was also grateful we had chosen outside. The boss came with a waiter to deliver the menus. Once again there were warm embraces to our newly arrived friend. We were asked what we wanted to drink and delayed the decision till we had examined the drinks list we had been offered. The beers were on the main menu and there was a separate wine list. Two of us chose beers, a bottle of wine for the other three. Tap water was also ordered. I asked what size the bottles of beer were and the waiter did not know, only saying 'large'. The cl/ml capacity is not explained on the menu. We let our hosts choose a selection of tapas which they duly did, allowing for our pescatarian preferences. The beers and five large glasses of tap water arrived quickly. The beer was in a 330ml glass so draught not bottled in the end anyway, never mind! The first plates arrived by 18:48 as had other guests in the garden. They looked tasty and were piping hot and were delicious! My partner is a very good cook and appreciated the different tastes as the rest of the dishes arrived. The garlic bread was very different from the usual. It was soaked in garlicky butter with crisp bits on the edges. There were certainly no vampires in the neighbourhood! As we were being treated we went easy on the alcohol. However, eventually another bottle of house white was ordered as the house red had been so good. The dishes kept coming and were all very flavourful apart from the tortilla. At the end of the savoury dishes our hosts encouraged us to have desserts, not our usual style but they were well priced. A variety arrived and were delicious whilst being not too sweet at all so our teeth were not affected! The tap water helped cleanse the palette! The overall verdict was that it was better than many tapas bars and restaurants we had been to in Spain itself! These restaurant guys manage to acquire the raw materials in London and cook them to deliver quite a tasty feast! By the time we were finishing, the garden was full. One of us popped to the toilet earlier and said the restaurant inside was busy and noisy so just as well we were outside with only the occasional roar of a passing train! All the plates had been cleared and the drinks drunk so we ordered the bill. It arrived at around 19:30. We had no idea of the bill and let our hosts pay without enquiring. I'm sure it was not cheap but we had eaten a lot! We offered to pay for the cash tip but it hosts refused! On leaving we were given more hugs and I recommended Raphael to pop into my favourite Italian restaurant in Greenwich's Royal Hill which is where my friends and I get a warm welcome to. Even chefs, waiters and restaurant owners need to relax and eat somewhere! We left the very busy restaurant to say thanks to our friends and make our way home to Lewisham via the nearby Waterloo East station.

Very nice, quite authentic Spanish/Catalan food. Friendly service.

The tapas was really good and we had a great time! We’ve always wanted to go to this place and finally went for a birthday.

This well hidden restaurant is amazing . Great authentic food , very friendly staff and a real local feel to it .

Been coming here for years and it’s still as good as ever. It’s an old-school tapas bar that delivers every time.

El mejor bar de tapas al que he ido en Londres. The best Spanish restaurant I visit in London

5 years later.......its still......Great authentic tapas food. Fantastic place for a bottle of wine and some great tapas dishes. Always busy come Thursday so make sure you reserve a table. Excellent value for money and fantastic food

This is a very honest tapas bar, the selection is relatively short, but everything we ate was absolutely right in flavour. Well presented and served with a smile. 100% delivers what it promises.

Great tapas, delicious and gently flavoured with olive oil. We had to finish with the moreish dark chocolate mousse and dessert wine. Definitely going back soon!

Fantastic food, the arroz was perfect! 👌🏻and the rest of the food was delicious too. Loved the pulpo and the gambas were to die for. Great atmosphere in the restaurant, the staff very very attentive. All in all a very enjoyable evening.

Loved it. Great food and house wine, excellent sardines. Wanted to come back before we leave but it’s not open on Sunday or Monday. This was the best food we had in London.

Lovely garden courtyard on a sunny evening, and tasty tapas. The food came quickly, and was all really good but the chocolate mousse with brandy deserves a special mention, utterly delicious.

Ein sehr versteckter Ort, wir sind durch Zufall auf das Restaurant gestoßen und hatten Glück, dass wir noch einen Tisch bekommen haben (wir waren 7 Personen). Die Bedienung war äußerst freundlich und wir haben uns direkt sehr willkommen gefühlt. Wir haben bestellt und eigentlich unmittelbar unser Essen und Trinken bekommen. Wir haben uns zurück nach Barcelona versetzt gefühlt. Das Essen war köstlich und wir hatten sehr viel Spaß. Vielen Dank für diesen schönen Abend!

Great food and friendly service. Down to earth atmosphere!

They squeezed us in about a minute before the kitchen was closing and we could not have been more pleased! We came back the next night too. A real gem tucked away in between the train tracks. We brought a stroller and it is not particularly easy to navigate (there are 3 steps to the patio and the tables are close together) but the staff and patrons were all accommodating of the extra space we needed around our table.

Un trato y servicio agradable, la comida muy buena. El precio quizás un poco elevado pero merece la pena.

Todo lo que pedimos era de nuestro agrado, buenísimo, trato inmejorable, muy agradecidos de como nos atendieron , muy muy recomendable

One of the best and worse places I’ve been to at the same time. The paintings on the wall are incredible. The food is more expensive than it should be by a mile and the wine tasted like cheese. Strange night with some good vibez.

Ein Erlebnis dort zu essen, alles sehr lecker, sehr herzliche Bedienung.....ich würde gerne 6 Sterne geben, allein dafür mit welcher Hingabe die Sangria eingeschenkt wird

Very authentic tapas in an old backstreet pub. Lovely staff, great food.

Something has changed here. The indifferent staff - no more chit chat, no eye contact, no care? The smaller portions? The care and attention going into the food? I don't know but it's just not the same. Our chickpeas were watery and salty, tortilla minuscule, patatas bravas sauce so oily. A shame as this was a go-to when staying in that part of London. Where people say the best Tapas in London, it is really not. Maybe in THAT area but not ALL of London. Left feeling disappointed and with a much lighter purse! Tip: if you go on a nice warm evening ask for the courtyard seating :-)

What a hidden gem on Londons dining map! Super good, authentic raciones out of the Spanish cooking playbook. The albondigas were outstanding, the pulpo gallego brilliant and perfectly balanced. And it is quite romantic too outside in the little backyard!

Nice lovely small restaurant and very nice sangria. It very simple place. Would love to give a 5 star if they make it fresh

Delicious food & pleasant staff

A super authentic tapas experience in London, in a totally unpretentious atmosphere. The selection of tapas is very comprehensive, and every single one we have tried in our multiple visits has been amazing. Would especially recommend the tortilla, octopus and lamb chops! Unlike other ripoff tapas places in London, this is clearly run with a lot of love and has a family business feel to it, keeping prices very reasonable. It's a little gem really!

This is a wonderful local family owned tapas restaurant that has fabulous food and a neighborhood vibe! We get to London about twice a year and this is always one of our first stops! We do splurge on the wine-so could be cheaper per person if you don’t do that!

The best tapas in London. Nothing more to say. Every dish we ordered was fantastic. The atmosphere is so cozy and friendly and made me feel like having a feast at a family friend’s place.

I see this restaurant from the train when travelling up to London and thought I had to try after reading the reviews. Had a great evening food and wine was top notch and the service was really friendly. Highly recommended.

Great hidden gem. Amazing food and wine! Staff all very friendly. A lot of good gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian options available.

Been going here for 5 years on and off always welcomed in this fantastic Espanyol family atmosphere Great food every time

I was really jet lag and tired. Then the tapas, fresh ingredients, people, and atmosphere totally wake me up. Love this place ❤️

Best tapas in London. Recommend several dishes and it has good vegetarian and vegan options. I truly recommend the restaurant, the food is amazing, the service is excellent and all the employees are all very polite and friendly. The food is ordered and it doesn't take long to arrive to the table. A very good Iberian experience! Will return with more friends! :)

Best tapas in London. Very reasonable prices, brilliant food and service. Like a portal to Spain.

Everything was perfect. The mains, the desserts, and the service. Can’t wait to come back again!

The dishes aren't cheap, but the wine is great, the food is delicious, and it feels like a true Spanish experience. 10 / 10

comemos várias vezes neste restaurante durante a nossa estadia recomendo a quem estiver por perto, pratos semi-gastronômicos muito bons por pouco dinheiro obrigado por esses momentos agradáveis ​​e principalmente o pessoal com um sorriso e ouvindo você! OBRIGADO

Great food, friendly staff, affordable menu. What else do you want from a dining experience. Recommended

Authentic Spanish food! Absolutely delicious

Very tasty food, but the service is just awful. We waited 40 minutes to order, and 1.5h before the food finally arrived. The dishes arrived very slowly, one at a time, and by the time the last one was supposed to arrive they had run out of potatoes! I would not recommend anyone to come here on a busy day. Perhaps the service gets better at a different time.

A warm welcome and good food in a nice relaxed atmosphere.

Place that gives the impression of being a small family business .. we have been coming here since 2019 and we have never been disappointed. the food is simple but always tasty and of high quality. their stewed rabbit is fantastic!

Found this as a last minute arrival to a local hotel and it was absolutely amazing. Really good prices freshly cooked food and fantastic sta alright ff. Thank you to everyone for a really super evening.

Great value for money! Friendly staff! Decent chow

The best food, clean kitchen and very nice and polite owner

Authentic Spanish place and very good food!

It was a lovely place for a quiet lunch. The food was delicious.

Delicious food and a lovely atmosphere, will definitely go back. The pulpo and the arroz a banda were simply amazing!

I didnt really want to do a review for this restaurant as I want to keep it to myself but they deserve it .Firstly its tucked away so you only know it if your know it ...maybe thats why its full of local people . The food is amazing ...the best tapas outside of Spain ..a small but perfect menu catering for all tastes . Wonderful service and no trying to push you out for the next booking . Great for women as the food is smaller portions but does not leave you hungry . Really worth a visit

Excellent restaurant with big choice of dishes. It's cosy and the staff are friendly and efficient. Wines are expensive but apart from that I'd thoroughly recommend it.

Absolutely fantastic Spanish restaurant. Authentic foods and wine, had a great time with my family.

Happened upon this cosy restaurant and so glad we did! Welcoming and friendly service, excellent food and the perfect atmosphere. Thank you Mar Terra for a wonderful evening.

Simply some of the best food I've ever had! We ate tons of different dishes and EVERY single one was outstanding. Lovely people and a lovely place too. 10/10

Good to average quality tapas without being anywhere near the best in town. Atmosphere was nice and informal and the service was excellent. Price was way too expensive to get away with simply 'good or average food'. We paid almost £90 each and didn't feel overfed and only drank 2 of their cheapest wines. The small after dinner drinks we order were £10 each, which was a rip off. We asked for extra bread and they charged us 8 portions between 4 of us. It was very busy so obviously most locals think this is better than I think it is. If you can travel a bit and want tapas, much better value and quality can be found fairly easily. Hard to recommend this to be honest....

We always saw the place from the train, I am glad we finally tried it out, it was really good, It is the most authentic Spanish food in London. Friendly staff and great prices. Definitely will comeback.

My friend suggested this little gem of a restaurant tucked down at the end of Gambia Street. The staff were welcoming and efficient, the restaurant was adorned with interesting art (for sale, way beyond my budget!) but the dishes were as tasty as I’d hoped and wine was light and refreshing. I highly recommend this beautifully run restaurant.Try the chocolate mousse, it will make you want to return just for that!

A true hidden gem. Delicious selection of authentic tapas in a cozy atmosphere. So very good. Will definitely come back in the future!

Wonderful find. Tucked away in a little side street. We went here last night for dinner and we were really impressed. Friendly staff, excellent food. The best Spanish food I have had outside of Spain. House wine was nice too. We will be back.

Very good food, we didn't have a reservation and they accommodated us easily. Great tapas

El Mejor de los mejores. Sin ninguna duda. Es entrar y sentirte en casa. No hay otro igual en Londres.

Spectacular, authentic Spanish tapas. I love that the garlic bread came with a warning from the waitress (“It’s real garlic, are you sure?” 😅) and this is always a good sign. The special on the day (braised beef stew) was a highlight, but I can safely say, having eaten a morsel or two of 8/9 different dishes, that there were no caveats. The prawns were fresh (and chunky), the rabbit stew as tasty as anything, bread portions plentiful (necessarily so, as the sauces and juices were spectacular!)… I could go on… I’d heartily recommend the Ribera del Duero Red Tempranillo which was an excellent match to ordering a bit of everything and reasonably priced. The dessert I ordered was a home made Crema Catalana (beautiful, NOT bright yellow!). This meal made my week. The prices were not the cheapest but I’d say it was absolutely worth it, and I’ll be back! Service was also impressive- one waitress served the whole restaurant, attentively (yes, really!), and ensured there was not waiting on a busy lunch time. Even to the point of warming the cognac glass before serving. Truly above and beyond. Amusingly enough, the owner was away the day we visited. I think we may have been fortunate, judging by the other reviews… but I’d be curious to return and meet such a colourful character! Actually, one tip for diners: if you order the peppers stuffed with crab they are served straight out of the fridge (around 4 degrees). Serve them up and leave them on your plate till the end to ensure they are not so cold that the flavour is lost. It would be a shame, as they too are a home made delight! Around £50 per head, including a £20 bottle of wine, a spirit and coffee each to finish (cognac & aguardiente).

Fabulous Spanish restaurant in the heart of London. Traditional Tapas and great dishes with lovely wine and a bucket load of Spanish service.

Smashing traditional Spanish Tapas restaurant. Friendly staff, excellent food, and a nice intimate atmosphere. Off the beaten track and favoured by the locals. A great place to spend the evening.

Great find. A cozy tapas restaurant a few minutes walk from Southwark and Blackfriars stations. Tasty, authentic, good value, food. Served with a smile. A most enjoyable meal. Quite the hidden gem.

Unbelievable food from a man who has been doing it for 30 years! Undoubtedly some of the best tapas I've had in my life

Really good value and delicious quality tapas. Great wine list. The courtyard at the back is lovely in summer.

Lovely staff, lovely courtyard, best friends, good weather with the most amazing Tapas I have ever tasted. Totally amazing

Throughout my whole life I’ve never experienced such a rude owner / bad customer service in the restaurant. The owner was rude, arrogant and never looked at our eyes when he was speaking to us. I was totally shocked, as it looked like he was doing us a favour. Honestly!!! If that’s the way how he treats his customers I don’t want to know what he puts in in the food. As we could not stand the owner’s behaviour towards us we had to leave the restaurant with significantly increased blood pressure. 🤯🤬😡

Courtyard warm evening best friends.... Excellent service.... Amazing Tapas best I have ever had.. Anywhere... Delicious.. Truly delicious food... What an amazing meal.

Cibo gustoso ed autentico. Birra molto buona. Servizio cortese Porzioni mignon specie rispetto al prezzo. Ma ci sta! Siamo a Londra...

Lovely place hidden away from the hustle and bustle. The food was delicious and the service was fantastic.

Beautiful food and friendly staff!

Sadly the owner ruined what was starting out as a great dinner; he was incredibly rude to our group. The other waiters were friendly and apologised for the owner’s behaviour. Our order was also taken incorrectly so lots of the dishes didn’t arrive; the food was nice but nothing special.

Muy rica comida española. Muy buena atencion

The worst customer service ever experienced in my entire life because of the rudeness of the owner and the total lack of organisation of the restaurant. Definitely not recommended.

A great little tapas bar tucked away down a side street in a former pub. The food is great and very good value. Highly recommended.