Neon Jamon

12 Smithdown Place, L15 9EH
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Despite the efforts of Southbank and the longstanding but underwhelming Pod, Allerton Road’s extensive collection of eateries has lacked a top quality tapas bar/restaurant. The arrival of Neon Jamon therefore was cause for cautious optimism with its clean, minimalist décor and hanging hams. Arriving before 7pm on Saturday the tables were all occupied and the bar was full, but a pint of Estrella (there is also a diverse selection of different Spanish bottled beers, including Estrella’s excellent Inedit Damm) and a quick look at the menu ensured the half an hour we waited was no hardship.

Although warned by our friendly waitress that the portions were a decent size, our party was hungry and we ordered four dishes each, accompanied by a couple of bottles of very drinkable Bodegas Muerza Rioja Blanco. The food quality was consistently high across our selection; there were some tender pork ribs, creamy croquettes and a generous portion of patatas bravas with alioli. My particular highlights were:

Hamburguesa – two veal burgers with a peppercorn sauce. Could have happily eaten another couple.

Chorizo & Morcilla plate – the soft and flavoursome onion black pudding was superb and outshone the more than acceptable chorizo.

Straw Fries & Eggs – I took the well-upholstered man’s option of adding some chorizo. A delicate seasoning of paprika gave the whole dish a substantial lift.

Little Chilli and Garlic Squids – lightly battered and with lemon alioli. Incredibly moreish.

 

 

 

There were one or two small negatives; there was a plate of fairly unexciting king prawns and similarly the churros we finished with were nice without lingering in the memory. There was no ice bucket provided for the wine. There were also several items added to our bill that belonged to another table – a mistake that was immediately acknowledged and rectified. Nonetheless the staff were friendly and keen to please and a complimentary brandy, which to this novice was unlike any I had tried before (I think it was the Liqour 43), following dessert was a nice touch.

Ultimately this was an impressive performance from a recently-opened restaurant still finding its feet, and if it continues to progress will provide a serious alternative - for this South Liverpool resident - to its most obvious city centre competitor, Lunya.