15-19 Jeffrey Street
0131-557 3622.
EVER since we once hired a holiday house in the ancient Moorish enclave of Albaicin in Granada, overlooking the magnificent Alhambra on the other other side of the valley, I've always loved Spanish tapas.
As we walked around the steep cobbled streets, we found ourselves, as luck would have it, in a charming locals' bar.
A round of the native and very delicious Lustau sherry came accompanied by a simple offering of tasty nibbles.
As the evening wore on and our expenditure on wine and brandy grew, so did the number and quality of the panoply of gorgeous hot and cold dishes of fish, meat and vegetables that followed from the kitchen behind the bar.
So much so, that by the end of the evening, as we wound our way back through orange blossom-scented lanes, there was no need to seek a restaurant.
I was delighted to discover on a later visit to Barcelona much further north, that the tapas experience was not just a happy holiday memory.
For once again, an unassuming little tapas bar packed with Spaniards near the church of Santa Maria Del Mar, produced yet another culinary wonder of successive dishes.
All very well, but what's this got to do with us, you may ask?
The reason I report it, is that there is something approaching the experience here in Edinburgh, nestling in Jeffrey Street.
Perhaps the reason for the authenticity of Barioja's tapas credentials is that it is run by a Spaniard, Senor Ignacio Campos, who happily owns Iggs restaurant next door, with one kitchen to cleverly serve both establishments.
A cold and wet winter's night in Scotland is quite a different experience from the Iberian sunshine, however.
And it's fair to say that since trying to recapture those moments back home, there have been many great disappointments in so-called tapas establishments, serving soggy, tasteless beans and frozen paella.
Happily, Barioja is not one of them. Ever since it opened in 1999 as an adjunct to the more established Iggs, it has been preaching tapas lore to great acclaim. Revamped in chrome and black with red-covered chairs a couple of years ago as it expanded into an adjoining empty shop, there is now lots more space among the simple, minimalistic decor.
A bottle of Albarino at the bar helped reassure us that quality controls were high, and set the tone for a very indulgent evening.
Snr Campos clearly knows his wines and Iggs has won many awards and commendations for its excellent list, as well as their food at both venues.
This delicious number from the increasingly esteemed Rias Baixas region of Galicia in north-west Spain proved another fine choice. More and more sommeliers are recommending it, and with good reason.
And there was more temptation in store as we moved to the adjoining dining area. Suitably lured to the table, we went the whole hog, so to speak, and ordered five dishes apiece.
Rather than trying to replicate exactly Spanish dishes for which we don't have the same Mediterranean ingredients in the North Sea, Barioja wisely sources fresh Scottish produce, cooked in the same spirit, and mixed with imported meats, spices and ingredients which will happily make the journey.
Among them came the traditional staple of patatas bravas with plenty of Catalan pan bread and olives, but with no hint of complacency about their preparation.
The rest of my gourmet selection included a superb roasted asparagus salad with Manchego cheese shavings, which complimented the cold, sliced, cured jamon; quite delicious hot sardines in tomato sauce; and cordero - two tasty lamb chops glazed with mustard and herb crust, alongside an escalivada of grilled tomatoes, aubergines, onions and peppers in fine olive oil.
My old mate Geoffrey is more of a meat man, but was equally happy with his albondigas (spicy meatballs in tomato, wine and herb sauce) and chicken dishes. He chose pollo - a marinated breast of chicken cooked in herbs and served with an almond sauce.
Just managing to find room on the plate, he also dived in to sample bunuelos - Cabrales cheese dumplings served with fried tomato.
All this was accompanied by a quite ravishing bottle of Pesquera Ribera del Duero, which I can't recommend too highly, though at £32.50 a pop you may want to save it for a special occasion.
Everything came served by an efficient and friendly waiting staff, composed mainly on our night there by charming women from Spain and Poland.
A happy combination of countries, then.
Reopens Monday.
