TASTE of Manchester found itself in Chester and couldn’t resists checking out the Porta Tapas Bar (above), due to open an offshoot in Altrincham this November (on course, according to @porta_alt) in the foodie quarter that has sprung up around Altrincham Market.
The Chester Porta couldn’t be much closer to the city’s stalwart sandstone walls, jammed in a tight space under Northgate Bridge alongside parent restaurant Joseph Benjamin.
That’s been going a decade to much acclaim under brothers Joe and Ben Wright, who branched out into Spanish small plates four years ago. In Porta a familiar roster of dishes is chalked up on a board, bravas, croquetas, boquerones, squid, Picos de Europa blue cheese, most of the dishes coming in at around a fiver.
We went for the special, Pulpo de Gallega (above), octopus in the style of North West Spain (£7.50), tender slices of the cephalod in oil and smoked paprika outnumbered , alas, by rounds of potato. Crunchy fried Padron peppers with Maldon Salt (£3.95) were perfectly matched by a small copita of La Gitana Manzanilla (£3.50), fresh crisp and saline.
The short, affordable wine list is Spanish, with a stray Sicilian Nero d’Avola sneaking in and it was good to see a Siren Undercurrent Pale Ale among the Sagres and Estrella Dam.
Service was warm and, if they can recreate the intimate bar feel in Altrincham (work in progress below) they are on to a winner.
Porta, 50 Greenwood Street, by Altrincham Market. WA14 1RZ.
