93 Columbia Road
London, E2 8NA
Tel: 020 7729 1147
The Victim: Connie
Date of Last Visit: February 13
So it’s Sunday and I want brunch. I also want flowers. Vague niggle at back of brain says, "Columbia Road." I go on-line. I read about flowers and tapas. I call Connie, who luckily has overslept and not gone to church or done any of the other million things she thought she would do. We meet at Old Street and walk over.
I love Columbia Road at 1 pm. I love it even better at 2 pm, when the prices drop. And more than anything, I love Laxeiro, where the day’s tapas are written on the chalkboard, the sangria is plentiful and delicious, the paella is fantastic and HUGE for two, AND–get this–they do doggie bags!
We started with the calamari and the stuffed courgettes (uh, zucchini). Then, we got the paella. The pan was very large–more than enough for 3 people. This was billed as paella for two. It was 15 GBP, which I think is quite reasonable. This is because I have stopped converting.
The service was attentive, but they had to be because the place is super small. There was a lot of traffic in and out, and surprisingly no wait. High turnover, but high quality. On the down side, they too tried to take my napkin away on more than one occassion.
The Verdict: I would definitely go back here on a Sunday. I would probably go back on a week night as well. Small, neighborhood-y and cute.
