El Pirata

El Pirata El Pirata has been serving critically acclaimed, authentic Spanish tapas for over 25 years, and now sensible prices. We look forward to welcoming you.
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El Pirata has reigned supreme as one of London's top tapas bars and restaurants since it opened in the heart of Mayfair in 1994 - El Pirata is personable, luxury without the price and above all authentic. El Pirata is renowned for its wide range of delicious tapas as well as its contemporary a la carte menu. With more than 50 traditional tapas dishes prepared to perfection it's no wonder that cust

omers and food critics have voted El Pirata one of the best for tapas in London. We offer fantastic, authentic Spanish cuisine, a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and prices that are more Madrid than Mayfair! Situated in the heart of elegant Mayfair, El Pirata is firmly established as the favourite place for people who value a superb location, authentic Spanish food, wide choice, sophisticated yet informal surroundings, friendly professional service and above all…. Why not relax and meet friends at our superb mirrored bar while you savour a Tapas dish or two, or dine in our elegantly simple restaurant or tuck yourself away in a private dining alcove for that special celebration.

13/06/2026

The only review that matters.

Long lunches, lingering dinners and conversations that last a little longer. That’s how we like things around here 🇪🇸

11/06/2026

Our little corner of Spain in the heart of Mayfair 🇪🇸

Whether you join us for tapas with friends or share a bottle with a loved one, our door is always open.

08/06/2026

Celebrating 30 years of El Pirata with a familiar face 🇪🇸

Thirty years on, and our recipe hasn’t changed: authentic Spanish food, fair prices, and a warm welcome in the heart of Mayfair.

Whether you’re a regular or you’ve been meaning to visit, we’d love to see you at the table.

Have you visited us before? Tell us your go-to dish below 👇

Reserve your table via the link in our bio.

Tapas. As it should be. 🧡⁠⁠-⁠⁠
03/06/2026

Tapas. As it should be. 🧡⁠
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30/05/2026

Saturday in Mayfair called for something cold. Espresso martini answered.⁠
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26/05/2026

Thirty-two years on Down Street.⁠
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📍 Reserve via link in bio⁠
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Down Street in the sun. It doesn't get much better than this in May. 🌞⁠⁠-⁠⁠
23/05/2026

Down Street in the sun. It doesn't get much better than this in May. 🌞⁠
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This is what a Tuesday in Mayfair can look like. The terrace is open. 🧡⁠⁠-⁠⁠
19/05/2026

This is what a Tuesday in Mayfair can look like. The terrace is open. 🧡⁠
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Classics and new additions, side by side.⁠⁠📍Down Street. Mayfair.
13/05/2026

Classics and new additions, side by side.⁠
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📍Down Street. Mayfair.

09/05/2026

The weekend is almost here. So are we. Same spot in Mayfair.🧡

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Arroz negro. One of the oldest dishes on the Iberian peninsula, and one that has been on the El Pirata menu since we ope...
06/05/2026

Arroz negro. One of the oldest dishes on the Iberian peninsula, and one that has been on the El Pirata menu since we opened our doors in 1993.

The colour comes from squid ink, used for centuries in coastal Spanish and Catalan cooking as both a seasoning and a sauce. What it gives the rice is a depth of flavour that's difficult to describe until you've had it.

A little saffron alioli cuts through the richness in exactly the way it should.

Some dishes don't need improving. They just need doing properly.

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Before. After. 🧡-
04/05/2026

Before. After. 🧡

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The weekend starts tonight if you know where to look. 🧡-
01/05/2026

The weekend starts tonight if you know where to look. 🧡

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From kitchen to table.⁠⁠Crisp aubergine, fried until golden. A touch of honey. Blue cheese to finish.⁠⁠-⁠⁠ ...
28/04/2026

From kitchen to table.⁠
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Crisp aubergine, fried until golden. A touch of honey. Blue cheese to finish.⁠
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25/04/2026

POV: You found your table in Mayfair

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Pouring drinks in Mayfair since 1994.-
22/04/2026

Pouring drinks in Mayfair since 1994.

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The moment before it reaches your table. 👨‍🍳⁠⁠-⁠⁠
20/04/2026

The moment before it reaches your table. 👨‍🍳⁠
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17/04/2026

Thirty-two years in Mayfair. Some nights, you just have to see it for yourself.

📍Mayfair | Reserve via link in bio

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16/04/2026

From Day. To Night. In Mayfair.⁠
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Fridays feel a little brighter when you love where you work!The team that's been feeding Mayfair for over thirty years. ...
10/04/2026

Fridays feel a little brighter when you love where you work!

The team that's been feeding Mayfair for over thirty years.

Find us this weekend 🧡

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The lamp's been on for thirty one years. It'll be on when you get here 💛⁠⁠-⁠⁠
08/04/2026

The lamp's been on for thirty one years. It'll be on when you get here 💛⁠
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After all these years, there are still moments that catch us off guard.⁠⁠A few evenings ago, as the last tables were set...
03/04/2026

After all these years, there are still moments that catch us off guard.⁠
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A few evenings ago, as the last tables were settling and the room began to soften into that familiar end-of-night calm, we found a note that had been left behind. It was resting against a wine glass, almost as though it belonged there.⁠
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The guest wrote about first coming here 25 years ago with their grandfather. About returning later with the man who would become their husband. About bringing their parents, and now, their children.. for the first time. And, in a line that stayed with me, they said they hoped their children would one day bring their own friends, and tell them how special this place has been to their family.⁠
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El Pirata has been around for many years now. Long enough to recognise faces across decades, to see people arrive as strangers and return as something closer to family. But even so, reading those words felt quietly profound.⁠
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In restaurants, we speak often about food, about wine, about service. But what stays with people - what stays with us - is something less visible. It is time. The passing of it. The way a place can become woven into someone’s life without ever announcing itself.⁠
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El Pirata has never tried to be anything other than what it is. A warm room. Honest food. A table where people can gather, talk, celebrate, or simply be. And yet, somehow, over the years, it becomes more than that. That note was a reminder of something I think we all feel but rarely put into words.⁠
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So if you have been coming to see us for many years, thank you. And if you are joining us for the first time, you are most welcome.⁠
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It will always be our pleasure to have you here.

There are some things in Spain that are not rushed, and Jamón Ibérico 100% bellota is one of them.⁠⁠Sourced from free-ro...
01/04/2026

There are some things in Spain that are not rushed, and Jamón Ibérico 100% bellota is one of them.⁠
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Sourced from free-roaming Iberian pigs, fed on acorns, and cured slowly over time, it is often spoken about in Spain with a certain reverence.⁠
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At El Pirata, it has always held its place on the table without needing introduction. Served simply... as it should be.⁠
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Paella Marinera.⁠⁠Classic Spanish rice with seafood & shellfish...for two.⁠⁠-⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠
30/03/2026

Paella Marinera.⁠
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Classic Spanish rice with seafood & shellfish...for two.⁠
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A table outside.Mayfair, just passing by.The terrace at El Pirata.-
27/03/2026

A table outside.
Mayfair, just passing by.

The terrace at El Pirata.

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Address

5-6 Down Street
London
W1J7AQ

Opening Hours

Tuesday 12pm - 10:45pm
Wednesday 12pm - 10:45pm
Thursday 12pm - 10:45pm
Friday 12pm - 10:45pm
Saturday 12pm - 10:45pm

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