On the trail of tip-top tapas in the British capital

English cuisine has never enjoyed a good reputation, but Britons certainly have a good appetite. This weekend, the city is celebrating Taste of London, a food festival in Regent's Park. The best restaurants in town, food companies and celebrity chefs are all there, with Spanish participants including wineries such as Freixenet and beer company Estrella Damm, which is organizing a tapas tasting. What's more, the beer and the tapas come free - definitely a plus at a festival where little is gratis, even though visitors have already paid a 26-pound entrance fee (over 30).

According to Omar Allibhoy, the London-based Madrileño chef in charge of the Estrella Damm tasting, there are around 200 Spanish restaurants in the city, offering mostly tapas. Quality varies, with a large part coming from a chain called La Tasca, which Spaniards in London do not typically recommend. But there are a few places that show Londoners what a real tapa should be like.

The first stop is Barrafina, in the heart of Soho. It belongs to two English brothers whose mother lived in Mallorca for many years and consists of a thin bar with stools where customers can order sautéed clams, croquettes and the classic bread with tomato spread. Behind the bar, the waiters are English, Polish and Spanish, including Noemí, an outspoken Málagueña who recommends the runny-egg tortilla de patatas.

The tapas route continues in Covent Garden, where the walls of Pix Bar do not feature images of bullfights or women in flamenco dresses. There is no need for stereotypes in a place where the tapas have a very Spanish flavor. The menu offers little sandwiches of ham and quail egg, spicy potato brochettes and a dessert based on the quintessential "churros con chocolate," deep-fried dough fingers served with hot chocolate.

In Notting Hill, Pirata Detapas, run by Allibhoy, has been operating for three years. The chef says the beginnings were "complicated" but things have finally gelled, especially in the evenings. The menu features octopus carpaccio with tangerine caviar, Andalusian-style calamari and homemade croquettes. "It helped to be the most economical restaurant included in the Michelin guide," he says. "That is one of our leitmotivs: quality food at reasonable prices."

Thousands are expected at this weekend's fair, although for now everyone is looking up at the sky. All seven previous editions enjoyed sunny weather, but the rain was coming down hard on day one this year. Even then, though, just an hour after its inauguration, there were hundreds perusing the stands under their umbrellas.