This tapas bar is named according to the street number where it is located, and since no reservation is available we went there by 6pm sharp to avoid having to wait. But upon arrival there was already a small queue outside, so apparently this is a popular place.
Being a tapas bar the environment was more for casual drinks and snacks than a formal dining restaurant, and the tables and stools are thus meant for easy chat than comfort. We were seated at a small table near the door, and I started by ordering a fino sherry which was quite poor in quality.
We started by ordering some para picar, the first being a pan con tomate with crisp jamon. The toast is crispy with nice finely chopped tomato on top, with some fried jamon sprinkled to add further to the flavor. This tapas was nice and set us off for a good start.
Then we had the 48 month Iberico bellota. Quite a tiny portion and compared with all the 48 month bellota I had before, though the ham was fatty and tender, there was a lack of the strong savory taste that I would expect.
The third appetizer was jamon, manchego & truffle toastie, with quail eggs. The stuffing of the toast was nicely seasoned and the strong truffle notes complemented perfectly with the ham and cheese. Again a delicious tapas which should be the standards for such a renown eatery.
Next we sampled the different dishes that seems to be of interest, beginning from octopus with chili, garlic and coriander. A commonly available dish in Spain, the octopus had good texture and not over chewy, and the sauce brought freshness to our taste buds, which also paired quite well with the dry oloroso I had.
For the egg we tried the duck egg, with maitake mushroom and serrano. The egg was nicely pan-fried with the mushroom and ham on the side, quite decently made but might not give you any feeling of exceptional quality or flair.
One of the signature dishes of 22 Ships is Berkshire pork and foie gras burgers, with avocado and pickled cucumber. A really mini-burger, we ordered two sets so there were sufficient for the four of us. The meat was juicy and the foie gras adding the extra intensity on the flavor to make this dish the best on the night.
Finishing we had Hawke's Bay lamb shoulder with eggplant and mint, with the meat cooked to good tenderness and easily flaked. Adding the eggplant and mint together there was a nice sweetness and minty flavors in addition, making this also a fairly good dish in my opinion.
The service of 22 Ships was decent, as one would not expect too much from such a tapas bar, but the price was quite high for the food we had, with the bill being $1,434 for 4 persons. Not value for money in my opinion, and the food quality and overall atmosphere would not make me want to go there again.
My overall rating is 40/100.
This tapas bar is named according to the street number where it is located, and since no reservation is available we went there by 6pm sharp to avoid having to wait. But upon arrival there was already a small queue outside, so apparently this is a popular place.
Being a tapas bar the environment was more for casual drinks and snacks than a formal dining restaurant, and the tables and stools are thus meant for easy chat than comfort. We were seated at a small table near the door, and I started by ordering a fino sherry which was quite poor in quality.
We started by ordering some para picar, the first being a pan con tomate with crisp jamon. The toast is crispy with nice finely chopped tomato on top, with some fried jamon sprinkled to add further to the flavor. This tapas was nice and set us off for a good start.
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