José Pizarro, who could have been a dentist but ended up being a chef, something our mouths will always be grateful for, has become the godfather of Spanish cuisine in the UK. It has been 25 years since he started this fascinating journey that has resulted in seven establishments in the UK, six in London and one each in Esher -Surrey County- and one more in Abu Dhabi. This business project is completed with accommodation in the south of Spain.
Born in the small village of Talaván (Cáceres), José Pizarro trained in some of the best restaurants in Spain until he met Julio Reoyo and Inma from El Mesón de Doña Filo, whom he considers friends and mentors.
His restless spirit led him to move to London and he did so with 50,000 pesetas in his pocket (€300.51), without great pretensions and without speaking English. Once in the city, he worked in some of the most prestigious Spanish restaurants in the city, such as Gaudi or Eyre Brothers, and was co-founder of the Brindisa restaurants. In 2011 he decided to open his first restaurant, José Tapas Bar in Bermondsey Street, a small and cosy place inspired by the bustling Spanish tapas bars.
José Pizarro's philosophy
Her story is one of effort, humility and passion for her roots, which germinated in her childhood, surrounded by the aromas and flavours of Extremadura’s cuisine. The smell of his mother’s breakfasts, freshly milked milk, eggs fried in olive oil, tomato soup with figs or the moments spent with his father picking olives, farm work that made him understand the value of hard work; all memories that have remained engraved in his memory. And also of determination, because only with tenacity and with very clear ideas is it possible to succeed in London, one of the most competitive culinary scenes in the world.
Awarded the Official Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, the only Spanish chef to hold it, José Pizarro’s cuisine is based on the use of fresh, seasonal, quality ingredients and the simplicity of his dishes, as well as José’s charm, enthusiasm and passion for Spanish food. He also argues that something as Spanish as good tapas is for everyone. and that home cooks should not be afraid to cook several small dishes.
This ambassador of his land in the United Kingdom, who recently received the Medal of Extremadura for his work in spreading Extremaduran food and tradition throughout the world -who said that no one is a prophet in their own land? – has satisfied countless palates with the goodness of Iberian ham -of which he sells some five hundred pieces a year-, Gadira red tuna, red shrimp from the Mediterranean, Rubia Gallega beef, Cantabrian anchovies, croquettes -of which he sells more than two million a year between all his establishments- or torrijas.
This professional career has helped him to become a familiar face on television, and he is a regular on BBC 1’s Saturday Kitchen, ITVs This Morning, Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, Weekend Kitchen with Waitrose, Rick Stein’s Christmas, Food Network’s The Big Eat, and the popular programme of ITV – James Martin’s Saturday Morning. He has also published a total of six books: Seasonal Spanish Food (Kyle Books, 2009), Spanish Flavours (Kyle Books, 2012), Basque (Hardie Grant, 2016), Catalonia (Hardie Grant, 2017), Andalusia (Hardie Grant, 2019 – reprint 2023) and the most recent, Spanish home cooking (2022), a collection of more than 80 recipes from the heart of his family home.
José Pizarro's restaurants
Located on Bermondsey Street and inspired by the bustling tapas bars around Barcelona’s La Boqueria market and the hot cities and towns of Andalucía, José Tapas Bar is small and cosy with a friendly and vibrant atmosphere, where you can enjoy a daily menu with the best of each day’s market, accompanied by an extensive list of Spanish wines and sherries served by the glass.
Located on Bermondsey Street and inspired by the bustling tapas bars around Barcelona’s La Boqueria market and the hot cities and towns of Andalucía, José Tapas Bar is small and cosy with a friendly and vibrant atmosphere, where you can enjoy a daily menu with the best of each day’s market, accompanied by an extensive list of Spanish wines and sherries served by the glass.
Also on Bermondsey Street is Pizarro Restaurant. Critically acclaimed and recognised with numerous awards such as Restaurant of the Year at the World Food Awards, Best Mediterranean Establishment at The Food Awards in London, the Rosette Awards for Culinary Excellence, Food and Travel Magazine’s Best Opening of the Year and Best Restaurant of the Year, the Extremaduran chef’s second establishment offers a menu of small tapas and more substantial dishes served as starters and main courses or as tapas to share. José’s passion for seasonal Spanish products, of the highest quality and cooked in an open kitchen, is evident in his dishes. And as a perfect complement, a wide range of Spanish wines, sherries and cocktails.
If your pet accompanies you everywhere you go, at José Tapas Bar and Pizarro they will always be welcomed with a refreshing bowl of water.
Just off Liverpool Street, in Broadgate Circle, is José Pizarro, which combines the styles of José Tapas Bar and Pizarro Restaurant and where you can enjoy classics such as croquetas, jamón ibérico and tortilla, as well as a series of reinterpretations by the chef of some of the best-known dishes of Spanish gastronomy, modern elaborations with a different twist. As a novelty, this establishment offers light breakfasts such as organic yoghurt and seasonal fruit with orange blossom honey, and more substantial options such as the full Spanish breakfast, toast with sobrassada and orange torrija.
In some ways August 2021 was special for José Pizarro, as he opened two restaurants in what he says “is the most valued and prestigious art space in London”, the Royal Academy of Arts. Two spaces where his two greatest passions, food and art, come together. In the heart of Mayfair, José has taken over the Senate Room to welcome his diners to José Pizarro at the Royal Academy of Arts. Open to all visitors to the Royal Academy of Arts, is the perfect place to enjoy its tapas menu or have a drink in the evening.
Also located in London’s arts institution is Courtyard Café and Poster Bar by José, a vibrant and lively Spanish café, more informal than the restaurant in the Senate Room, where you can enjoy small plates to share. If you drop by on a Friday you can enjoy Pintxo Fridays and enjoy a complimentary pintxo with every drink consumed.
José Pizarro’s latest venture in the London capital is Lolo, whose concept revolves around the social nature of food, as well as being a meeting point for locals and visitors. Located in bustling Bermondsey, at Lolo you can share breakfast as a couple, enjoy lunch with the family, have evening cocktails with friends or enjoy a glass of wine in solitude.
Lolo’s kitchen, open from 08:00 to 21:30, offers everything from breakfasts including a variety of sandwiches, homemade pastries and typical Spanish desserts, to typical Spanish tapas, fresh salads, gourmet preserves, cheese and charcuterie boards, canned and cured fish, to more elaborate dishes, some of which are personal favourites of the chef. To produce all these proposals, José Pizarro relies on his distributors, both in the UK and Spain, to provide him with the top quality products he demands. Some of the dishes that can be tasted here are Gadira tuna loin tartar with peach, Mediterranean red shrimp carpaccio with orange and chilli pepper or the Iberian pork stew made with José Pizarro EVOO.
The Swan Inn in Esher fulfilled a dream that José had always had, a country pub that is also a hotel where you can spend your afternoons and evenings in good company by the warmth of the fireplace. All the culinary values of the chef and the atmosphere of a British pub within the walls of The Swan Inn.
To find José Pizarro’s eighth establishment, it is necessary to fly to Abu Dhabi, where José by Pizarro is located. Located in the Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers, part of the Hilton portfolio of luxury hotels, the new restaurant is located on the Corniche, the heart of the city and boasts wonderful views of the city as well as the Persian Gulf. In this marvel of modern architecture, the chef from Extremadura offers the best dishes of Spanish gastronomy, sharing space with more informal and personal tapas and delicious wines, sherries, sparkling wines and cocktails. Starters such as anchovies from the Bay of Biscay or fried prawn fritters with lemon aioli; mellow king prawn rice or leg of suckling lamb and potato al caliu as traditional dishes; prawns from Sanlúcar de Barrameda with garlic or Russian salad with tuna confit and red shrimp from the Mediterranean in the section of portions to share and desserts such as Santiago cake with figs and PX vinegar or floreta from Extremadura with saffron cream, are some of the delicacies that shape the menu of José by Pizarro.
José Pizarro's project in southern Spain
If anything has been clear so far, it is that the fact that he has been living in the UK for almost three decades has not made José Pizarro forget his country of origin. This can be seen every day in the promotion of Spanish gastronomy and products in his restaurants. The latest project that reaffirms this is the opening of Iris Azahara, a guest house located on the Los Alemanes beach in Zahara de los Atunes (Cádiz), from where it offers delicious and unique gastronomic and tourist experiences.
With capacity for ten people in its five rooms, it has a swimming pool, gym, barbecue, fully equipped kitchen, office, TV room and wifi in all the rooms, which also have a terrace and private bathroom. Pizarro and his partner Peter act as hosts and offer their guests attractive experiences ranging from culinary tours to wine tastings in the wineries of the Marco de Jerez, tastings with José himself in the kitchen of this house, visits to the best tapas bars in the area, or sports activities such as surfing, golf, horse riding or diving. This beautiful villa, designed by the renowned architect Alfonso Alzugaray, offers a luxury getaway for guests seeking absolute privacy and exclusivity in their holidays.
