Groupo Kabaleo At El Kabron

We were invited down to sample one of El Kabron's live music nights, and on this occasion the evening featured the amazing Kabaleo from Seville!  It was an invitation that we couldn’t let pass by so headed into the city for what promised to be a proper fiesta.  Vamos!  

The evening's set menu (£45) was an inventory of all your Spanish favourites, from cod, to croquettas, to sea bass, to steak and prawns, and of course a sweet treat to end with.  For the indecisive there's also a matched drinks flight (£25) to pair up with each dish a mix of wines and various styles of sherry.  And the size of pours was typically generous, as you come to expect at El Kabron.

The food stared with El Kabron's pintxo of the evening, in this case some cheese and ham, or jamon y queso if you're feeling all cultured and want to get into the swing of things.  It’s just the ideal bar snack, and got the evening off with a familiar bang.

The next course was everyone's favourite Spanish bite; Croquetas.  The menu included one salt cod and one mushroom. Both were nice and crispy, with a lovely oozy filling which I should have snapped in fairness.  But I promise that you'll be more than happy with these though.

As Kalabeo played away on stage, keeping guests happy whilst the food was flying out of the kitchen, the ambiance was just brilliant and it's so easy to forget that you're just a stone's throw from Manchester town hall.  We literally landed back from Spain a few days before this evening, and it was like a continuation of our holiday, just without relying on Ryanair.

The evening's first proper course was a nice chunky tranche of Rioja style cod, cooked with a wonderfully seasoned tomato and pepper sauce, which carries bags of tradition.   This was followed by El Kabron's slider, made with good quality beef, cooked as it should be and topped with a slice of chorizo, some lovely melted Manchego and their signature red sauce.  Truly delicious.

Next up we returned to the ocean for the Bilbaina Sea Bass; a couple of delicate bass fillets with super smooth potato mash in a sensational sauce, which contained all the flavours that remind you of Spain.  The smokiness of paprika and a pop of vinegar brought the whole plate well and truly alive. The smell coming off this dish was just incredible.

But the main course was nothing short of stunning; El Kabron's iconic Surf and Turf which is served with patatas bravas.  It's a huge portion of fried potatoes, with steak and a couple of juicy garlic prawns, with plenty of good quality olive oil to mop up with all those potatoes.  It's just a great dish and one that you simply have to try.

As the sun set outside, the band signed off with their encore track following chants of uno mas/one more from the crowd.  The ambiance was phenomenal, and Kabaleo entertained the packed house all evening long.  And the dessert course of Santiago Tart with churros and chocolate sauce was also an ideal encore in itself, topping off a wonderful evening of food and music.

Keep an eye on their page for news of more pending live music nights, but for now, do yourself a favour and call in to get a sample of some of the city's most authentic and great value tapas.  It's unmissable.

** Our experience was gratefully comped **