La Tasca, 58 Saddler Street, Durham, (From Durham Times)

La Tasca, 58 Saddler Street, Durham,

11:33am Friday 4th December 2009

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A venue to put a smile on your face.

I WAS in a grumpy mood when I arrived at La Tasca.

At short notice, my fellow diner had texted to say he couldn’t make our visit to La Tasca and if there’s anywhere you don’t want to be dining with an empty chair, it’s a tapas restaurant, where forks duel their way across their table in a ritual dance of “have a piece of that” and “ooh, try this”.

So as I harumphed my way to the restaurant in the heart of Durham, situated in Saddler Street, the last thing I wanted when I arrived was to be told that there was no sign of my booking. But indeed, despite double and triple checking, there wasn’t a trace of my table having been arranged the day before, leaving me twiddling my thumbs and docking a point for service in a restaurant that was exceptionally busy for a dark and shivery Tuesday night.

That, however, was my last harumph for the night. The waitress with the sweetest sing-song Scottish accent you could ever hear was true to her word and sorted out a table in double quick time.

“Do you need any help with your menu? Have you been here before?” she piped.

Tapas, yes, La Tasca, no, was my answer, so she helpfully chirped through the recommendations of the house – not just one meal but a few bowls of different foods that take your fancy.

Food ordered and drink delivered, I took to people watching from my spot by the window as outside the outfits ranged from a young couple huddled up and dressed for the arctic to students defying the cold with the shortest of dresses.

La Tasca is a national chain – this local branch having this week laid claim to a TasteDurham award for the quality of its food – and chains can be a mixed blessing, boasting a minimum standard that you can expect while lacking the individual character many a diner seeks.

Here, that character is the bubble of the party. One entire side of the restaurant was taken up with a party on Tuesday, with all the excited hubbub that brings. Wherever you looked, folks had smiles on their faces and were tucking into food with a sense of fun. The music at this time of year mixes a little bit of Latin with a little bit of Slade and, if you’re after a quiet meal, is a little too loud to ignore, but is spot on if this is your first stop as you get ready to rumba.

I opted for four items from the menu – the staff recommend three or four for most diners and the waitress taking the order was happy to give a nudge here and there towards what was most popular and what she thought made a particularly nice dish.

The one she recommended – pollo marbella, chicken, cooked with paprika, chorizo, sweet peppers and onion in a white wine and cream sauce – certainly hit the spot nicely.

Not too strong a taste, not too weak, it sat nicely between a couple of my other orders.

The chorizo frito al vino – chorizo sausage sauteed in red wine – was the darker side of that balance. Rich and just a little on the heavy side, it contrasted nicely with the softer flavour.

The highlight of the options I chose was the salmon fresco – light and fresh on the palate and served on a bed of spinach, raisins and pear.

I rounded out the selection with fried potatoes in a lightly spicy tomato sauce coated with melted cheese.

After a decent pause, the dessert rounded things off nicely – a Spanish-style apple pie, with an almond pastry base, a layer of meringue and a crumble topping that lived up to its enticing description.

For one person, with a couple of soft drinks, my bill came to £26.85 – not the best value but not the worst – and the packed tables on what is usually a quiet night at most restaurants is proof enough of La Tasca’s appeal.

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