Black Pig With White Pearls

Stoke Newington is studded with funky eateries, but for an after-work drink and nibble it’s hard to beat Black Pig With White Pearls. This cool, cosy spot on Stoke Newington High Street takes its dedication to traditional Spanish tapas much further than most London joints – the finest illustration of this is their top-shelf Iberico meats, carefully chosen from small-scale charcutiers in Spain and presented in a range of irresistible tapas (alongside plenty of vegetarian options and gorgeous wine, of course).

You’ll find this atmospheric gem right among the hustle and bustle of Stoke Newington High Street, but it’s closer to a southern Spanish wine cavern than a North London restaurant. Black Pig With White Pearls is dedicated to everything Iberian – ambience, great service and quality wine are therefore a given, but it’s the first-rate Iberico cured meat permeating their menu (which is hand-picked and imported from artisan Spanish producers) that gives Black Pig With White Pearls its point of difference (and its name) in Stoke Newington. Black Iberico pigs are famed for their flavoursome meat, and you can taste the very best of it here through various incarnations.

Tapas are taken to new heights here on Stoke Newington High Street, from simple toasted almonds with paprika to grilled free-range Iberico pork fillet or Spanish squid-ink rice topped with juicy calamari. The decor is romantic and relaxed, elegant but effortless all at once, so it suits pretty much any occasion. Even just for an evening drink Black Pig With White Pearls is one of the best choices around Stoke Newington, but if you’re after a satisfying nibble as well (particularly if you’re with a group) then it’s almost unrivalled in this area of London.