€€€€ • Spagnola • Waterloo
La Gamba is a Spanish tapas bar and restaurant on the Southbank Centre's Festival Terrace, two minutes from Waterloo station, between the London Eye and the National Theatre. Jay Rayner in The Observer called us "the answer to that infuriating question of where can I eat before a show at the Southbank Centre", and plenty of guests do exactly that, though just as many settle in for the whole evening. The menu moves through the tapas classics and a few of our own inventions: croquetas and patatas bravas, chistorra pintxos, albóndigas with manchego, gambas al ajillo, and paellas cooked fresh at weekends. There is cold Spanish lager on tap, fresh Sangria, and a well curated list of Spanish wines. We come from the family behind Applebee's in Borough Market, and we run La Gamba the same way: good produce, cooked well, served with warmth. Our terrace is one of the nicest spots on the Southbank to lose a sunny afternoon. Walk-ins always welcome.
