Tapas at Gallery 48

Is there anything better than enjoying a few drinks and good food with friends?

Over the last few years, my besties and I have realised that dinner and drinks suits us best. Don’t get us wrong – we get as excited over a chilled bottle of bubbly as the next group of girls – but, as we’ve matured (hah!), we get more enjoyment out of a meal and bottle (or three) of wine than we do from heading straight to the pub.

Call me Granny, but bars can just be so noisy… I want to be able to talk to my friends, to find out what they’ve been doing and how they are. They are my Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda to my inner Carrie Bradshaw. They’re my chosen family. So I want to be able to reassure them when they doubt themselves, to be their punchbag after a bad week at work, to help them laugh at their children’s naughty moments, or their husbands’ foibles. And, of course, to reminisce. To do that, I need to be able to listen and respond, if necessary – what better way to do this than to spend a few hours sharing yummy food and wine? Even if we do end up in the pub later!

Last weekend the four of us went to Gallery 48 in Dundee’s Cultural Corner to catch up over tapas. Described on the website as a “social environment fusing the finest tapas, handpicked selection of Spanish wines and contemporary gins with ground-breaking exhibitions by local and international creatives.” In short, it’s a relaxed Spanish restaurant and bar displaying the work of artists and designers, available to buy or simply admire. (The current exhibition is the work of illustrator Lucy McLeod – I would totally display her work in my home office.)

The manager selected a few dishes for us to try, including olives, pan con tomate, croquetas del dia, tortilla, patatas bravas, gambas, chorizo and black pudding manchengo, and chicken paella. Everything was fresh and tasty, with good flavour and great portion sizes. Our collective favourites were the gambas (the king prawns) and the paella, but we agreed we’d like to select our own dishes next time having snuck a look at the menu. (That said, I’d probably order the same again as I really loved both the gambas and paella…) We started with cava and finished with churros, what could be more perfect for a Saturday evening spent with your girlfriends?

 

Dishes, from top: olives, pan con tomate, gambas, paella, patatas bravas, churros.

With thanks to Gallery 48 for hosting me and my friends. Book your table online or call 01382 225666. View the tapas menu.