Is this the best value lunch in Putney?

We went to Pata Negra on a tip from a reader. This often over-looked Spanish tapas restaurant at the end of “Estate Agent Arcade” on the Upper Richmond Road has been going for nearly a decade, albeit with the same “temporary” sign hung in front of its former El Patron incarnation.

Apart from a brief spell as the House of Roxy cocktail bar, it has been serving Spanish-style tapas for as long as anyone can remember. But, we were told, the lunch menu is the real draw. So off we went to visit Pepe, the Spanish owner and chef, a Putney institution in himself.

The deal

Two courses for £15 a head. Starters: roasted peppers with warm goat’s cheese and balsamic glaze, a tricolore with avocado, mozzarella and tomatoes, or chorizo and mushrooms with garlic. Mains: fresh salmon in a spicy prawn sauce, or pork fillet with a mixed peppercorn sauce, both with veg. Simple, no gimmicks, printed on a single sheet of paper rather than laminated anywhere.

The setting

Walk in off Upper Richmond Road and it doesn’t look like much from outside, a bit tired, a Spanish-flag painted-planter with no plants, A4 sheets taped to the outside, easy to walk past. Inside is a different story. Exposed brick, a pressed-tin ceiling, mismatched painted panels in blue, yellow and red running along the top of the wall, a cured ham leg mounted on its own stand by the bar.

The bar front is done out in patterned Spanish tile, bottles stacked up behind it, industrial pendant lights hanging low. Old leather banquette seating, cracked and worn in exactly the way that makes a place look lived-in rather than neglected. The bifold doors at the front were open to the street, so you get the afternoon light and a view across Upper Richmond Road while you eat. It’s cosy without being cramped, and there’s enough room between tables that you’re not eavesdropping on your neighbours.

The food

The chorizo and mushrooms starter came properly cooked, not just warmed through, mushrooms browned, chorizo rendered and a bit crisp at the edges, the kind of thing that tells you someone’s actually paying attention in the kitchen.

The pork fillet was tender and clearly fresh, sliced into rounds under a peppercorn sauce with real depth to it, not a jar sauce dressed up. The veg on the side did its job without fuss: broccoli, carrots and potatoes, all simply done, firm to the bite, seasoned with butter and salt and nothing more. It tasted fresh and homemade, which at £15 for two courses in Putney is an excellent deal.

Who’s cooking

Pepe, the owner, is the one doing it, cooking to order, appearing periodically from the kitchen to check on things. He has a new server on our visit, still finding her feet, a little nervous but doing fine. It’s a small operation and it feels like one: no conveyor belt, no reheating, just someone who cares about getting the plate right.

The damage

£15 a head for two courses is not cheap but it is less than what you’d pay for a similar deal anywhere else in Putney. What you get for it is the difference: proper, freshly cooked food, made to order, by someone who clearly knows what he’s doing. There’s a decent wine list too, if lunch is the kind of lunch that includes a glass.

So if you are looking for a sit-down lunch rather than a sandwich, you may be looking at the best value lunch in the local area. Share your thoughts below in the comments.

Pata Negra is at 141 Upper Richmond Road, SW15 2TX.