Mar I Terra - Blackfriars in Southwark

We received a friendly welcome on a pretty busy Tuesday night (recommend booking especially later in the week). Not a huge menu but everything expected from tapas restaurant with some added house specials. We ordered and shared a couple of dishes at a time and ended with chocolate mousse. Delicious.

This place is a treasure but the owners only open odd days. It was my favourite Tapas bar, way better than Meson Don Felipe but it's unpredictable when you can get in. Please guys open 5 days a week, we need you!

Very friendly tapas bar. We tried nearly all the fish options and didn’t regret it! For an hour, we forgot we were even in London. The staff is very helpful and welcoming.

Really good tapas especially the chicken dish and the rice.

Place with a mixture of pub atmosphere but with Spanish cuisine. Friendly staff. You tasted very tasty dishes! The portions are tapas, so there's not a lot, but you can order more.

Cute little place! Fantastic service and even better food. Best tapas I’ve had in London.

made a last min booking for a group of 12 of us on a Saturday eve, and got given their whole upstairs room! excellent meal with great service, will definitely be back

Fantastic little spot! Very reasonably priced, excellent food and staff, would recommend

Great experience the food was amazing and the service was excellent too!

Food was 10/10 delish and authentic. Incredible flavours and the portions are substantial for the price you pay. Great service and so close to the globe theatre to catch a show

Delicious tapas in a very authentic setting. Friendly and fast service.

The food was very good, as was the service. It's not cheap, but where is in central London? Hopefully, will be able to go against soon.

Delicious food (the tortilla is fantastic!), friendly services and a warm atmosphere

Singh is the best best best waiter ever! He brings the best vibes and so welcoming! He makes me feel so comfortable, and the environment is great!!

Ordered a salad without rocket, and they send a salad with A LOT of rocket, then I was asked about what to replace the rocket, choose lettuce, then they send ONLY lettuce, without the other ingredients 🤦🏼‍♂️

Been a while since my last visit. Always liked the location etc but was disappointed this time. Our reservation was steered into a 6pm slot (8pm option was too late) but when we got there hardly anybody else was dining until 7.30-8 when it started to fill a bit. Food was okayish - nothing special and portions were small - the boquerones arrived: 5 small anchovies in a bit of oil for over £7. Ridiculous. Wine was good though. Hope it will pick up.

The boss found us a table, even though everything was either already taken or reserved. Very fast and attentive service. Excellent cuisine. Nothing to complain about, it was perfect.

Excellent service. However, the food was not restaurant quality and was very much “home cooked” - the standard is a bit average compared to a number of Tapas restaurants around Borough / Bermondsey. The portion was stingy relative to the price.

This place is a little hidden and is an absolute gem!! Fabulous food, lovely little courtyard garden. The owner and staff were so attentive and friendly. The best Spanish restaurant in this part of London for sure. Would thoroughly recommend and can’t wait to return.

Authentic food, very well cooked tapas in London. Good atmosphere, very welcoming outdoor terrace!

Good spanish tapas, to enjoy typical food

I love this place!! The tapas are amazing and the price not high …. Friendly staff and really really amazing food !!

Amazing! We are staying at the Bankside Autograph and it was a short walk for this amazing quaint meal. We wanted a departure from the tasty pub food we had been devouring for a few days, with a healthier variety. We love a good local family vibe with an authentic offering. This delivered and the bonus was Miguel our server from Spain. We are from St Pete Beach, FL and hope to be back soon!

Four of us shared nine good-sized tapas and two bottles of excellent house white, at a pretty reasonable price for the location (under £40 a head). Straightforward authentic feel, a short walk from Southwark tube and Waterloo.

Food was good, we got bread instead of the garlic bread that was ordered, that was the only issue I had with the food. Atmosphere was close to 2 stars, table was too small for 3 people, but the general mood of the place was bubbly and that was down to the staff

Very good food and cozy restaurant.

Fabulous food and wine. Great value and overall a fantastic experience. Great little find, probably smell of garlic for a couple of weeks but well worth it.

Wir hatten spontan einen Tisch reserviert und das Ambiente war echt schön. Bedient wurden wir den ganzen Abend sehr nett und die Speisen waren durchweg sehr gut. Preislich schon recht teuer, aber aufgrund der Qualität und dass man in London ist, noch okay.

It’s like being in Spain in the middle of London. Simple, authentic and great tapas.

Mar I Terra is definitely a special find I’ll be gate keeping as a hidden gem. The gambas al ajillo is the best I’ve had since spending my childhood summers in Mallorca. The whole restaurant felt like stepping into a portal to Seville, you would never guess you were in Southwark. The staff were all amazing and the atmosphere is so laid back and informal. The owner Rafa is a master at front of house. I will definitely be a new regular

As with previous visits the food was lovely and fresh with lovely service. I alway enjoy it here. Thank you too everyone

Food between Portuguese and Spanish. Interesting. Good atmosphere.

It feels very cosy and homely inside. The staff are very friendly and welcoming and the food was delicious and the service was amazing.

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.

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

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

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

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!

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!

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.

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

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

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! :)

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

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

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.

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.

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!