Lizarran Review

When I heard that a new Spanish restaurant was opening in Milton Keynes, to be honest it didn’t really excite me that much. But then I heard that Lizarran has over 200 restaurants in 8 countries including Russia, USA, China, France and Italy. And then I heard that they had chosen to open their very first UK restaurant in Milton Keynes. Okay, so now they had my attention…there must be something different about this Spanish restaurant, so time to find out what that is.

Based in The Hub, Lizarran does have a lot of competition on its doorstep with 10 other restaurants around it but this does offer lovers of Spanish food something a bit different.  They specialise in ‘Pinchos’ a specific type of tapas which originally comes from the Basque region of Spain. They are different toppings served hot or cold on individual pieces of bread. The word ‘Pincho’ literally means thorn or spike and this refers to the toothpick or skewer that keeps the toppings secured to the bread beneath.

The way that Lizarran serve them is a bit different. The cold Pinchos are available on the bar from small chiller cabinets and you go up and help yourself. The hot Pinchos are served straight from the kitchen, the waiting staff bring them out on trays around the tables and you help yourself. All you do is keep the mini skewer holding each one together - hot Pinchos are £1.75 and cold Pinchos are £1.30. At the end of the meal the waiting staff count up your skewers and you get charged accordingly, simple.

When we arrived, we sat down at our table and the waiting staff explained how it all worked. While they were sorting out our drinks the first lot of hot Pinchos came out of the kitchen accompanied by a loud shout from the kitchen staff of ‘PINCHOS’ just in case you didn’t know they were on their way. The first ones we tried were delicious bread crumbed prawns and some soft fried salmon. Then came chorizo sausages, followed by some absolutely delicious wild mushroom croquettes. Before we got too full, we made our way to the bar and marvelled at the array of different Pinchos available. Lizarran use mixtures of fresh ingredients with seafood, meat, cheese and vegetables to give some fantastic tasting Pinchos. We particularly liked the Manchego cheese with roasted red peppers and the lovely baby octopus with brie and olives. As each one comes on its own piece of bread you have to be careful not to fill yourself up if you want to sample other delights on the menu.

We moved on to try some of the more traditional tapas dishes. We ordered a few between us (each one comes big enough for two people) including Huevos Estrellados Morcilla, two broken fried eggs over a layer of potatoes with Spanish Black Pudding and Tortilla De Patatas, traditional Spanish omelette served with tomato flatbread. We also couldn’t resist some more of the simply wonderful wild mushroom croquettes. As is traditional when ordering tapas, we ate those and ordered a few more. Gambas Al Ajillo, shrimps sauteed in garlic and extra virgin olive oil and Berenjenas Rebozadas Con Miel, breaded eggplant with cana honey. Now, I’ve eaten in Tapas bars in Barcelona and they take some beating but I have to say, these pushed them very close. Really fresh ingredients, cooked simply and tasting delicious.

The menu goes even further should you want it to. They have a modest selection of meat and fish dishes together with paella available. They also offer sharing platters; traditional regional cheeses, traditional Spanish cured meats and Iberian ham. We truly didn’t have room for a dessert but again the offering is good – we particularly liked the look of the Santiago cake with a shot of sweet wine which the table next to us had.

Lizarran definitely offers a different way of eating. The Pinchos are great as a starter or if you just want to call in after work and have a glass of wine and a quick snack with friends. They also offer traditional Spanish Flamenco dancing and Spanish guitar on specific nights which helps add to the real flavour of Spain.

Ratings:
Atmosphere:  8/10
Menu range: 8/10
Quality of food: 9/10
Service: 7/10
Value for money: 7/10

Facilities:

Disabled facilities
Dedicated disabled toilets and restaurant is all on one level.

Parking
Daytime parking can be difficult and costly (pay and display). Evenings, after 7.00pm, there is plenty of parking available and it is free.

Other amenities
Special offers are available – check website for details.