So it was apparently National Paella Day (March 29) two weeks ago , so Betway (yes, the gambling company) took it upon itself to research the best paella spots in the UK. Want to know what’s even more surprising than that? Well, a Bristol tapas bar, El Rincón, came out on top!
Analysing over 40 of the most popular paella spots in the UK, Betway created a ranking based on their Google Review and Tripadvisor ratings. The North Street bar came out top with an index score of 64.40 out of 100, and was the only spot that was analysed with a Google Review rating of 4.8. It beat the likes of Edinburgh’s tapas3, Salt House Tapas in Liverpool and Malaga Tapas in Glasgow.
Anyone who’s ventured out to this tiny tapas bar in Southville will agree it deserves all the praise. But we did think something was a bit fishy… We’ve never seen paella at El Rincón, have you? A cursory Google brought up one very old-looking image on the bar’s TripAdvisor page and, stranger still, not a single reference to the Valencian dish. So we had to reach out and ask, and received this response:
Hi Charlie,
we no longer serve paella at El Rincon
Un saludo
D
So there we go, no paella at the UK’s best paella spot.
So what does El Rincon have?
As Bristol’s oldest Spanish bar, it has pretty much everything else, from sangria to Spanish lessons, live music to chess clubs and tortilla competitions. You’ll also find a simple tapas menu of things like cured meats, cheeses like manchego, anchovies, artichokes, dips and bread (you get the idea). It’s as close to Spain as you can travel without leaving the South West. Just no paella.
Where can I find paella in Bristol?
Working this out can be a lot harder than it first appears, so we won’t judge Betway too harshly. Google ‘Bristol paella’ and lots of places will come up, like famed tapas restaurants like Bravas, Gambos and Paco Tapas. Do they serve paella? Not from what we could see, although it wouldn’t surprise if it popped up on menus now and again.
Making paella isn’t easy, you need time and space. But if you’re on the hunt for the Spanish delicacy in Bristol, you can visit Estrella de Tapas on Whiteladies Road where you can order paella mixta (£25) or paella de marisco (£30). For lunchtime options, head to La Lola at St Nicholas Markets, where they always have a paella special on the go.