Out For Tapas At Compamigos, Mercia Marina, Willington
Published On Sunday 9 Feb 2025 by Sticky Beak
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Before Christmas (and is it just me, or does that seem, like, aaaaaages ago?!) His Nibs, myself and Mummy Bird went to have breakfast at Compamigos at Mercia Marina. So fab was it that we just about pecked Amy’s hand off when she asked if we’d like to return and sample their Tapas offering! One great thing about Mercia Marina is that there’s no shortage of parking spaces so, having snagged one fairly close to the boardwalk, we mosied on past the lovely barges and attractive shop fronts and made our way to Compamigos.
Downstairs is the more informal eating area and bar, and this was buzzing. Possibly the cutest dog on planet Earth was sitting beautifully well-behaved with his dad - who was enjoying a pint – which, given their spot near the door wouldn’t have been the easiest task; our dog would’ve been going bonkers every time someone walked in! His Nibs caught the attention of one of the team and said we’d got a table booked; they directed us upstairs to the more dedicated restaurant area, and we were greeted there and walked over to our table. Charlotte, Compamigos Assistant Manager, came over to say hello and said that she’d loved the previous review: it’s always nice to hear that a team got what we were trying to convey.
I ordered a large glass of a juicy, Australian Shiraz and The Man fancied a pint of Pravha lager; our server, Sophie, went to get us a carafe of iced water for the table as well, which she offered without needing to be asked. Our table was in prime position to view the activity within the open kitchen 9 one of the focal points of the upper level) and, behind us, tables had been arranged in a U-shape in preparation for a large celebratory party. Compamigos is clearly THE place to be, whatever the occasion: a family near us was celebrating a birthday, a group of friends was having a catch-up and several other couples were enjoying date night’ like ourselves. Some of the dishes going out to other tables looked fabulous and our mouths began watering at the thought of us tucking in later.
All the Tapas dishes are neatly organised in to Meat, Vegetarian, and Fish sections, which makes navigating them a breeze. The only ‘problem’ is that there’s so much choice and so many delicious-sounding morsels: how on earth were we going to whittle them down?! Thankfully, Compamigos solved that conundrum for us. The venue is an amalgamation of the Spanish phrase ‘Compartir Con Amigos’ (share with friends), and one of their platters is the ‘Amigo Selection’, a veritable feast that costs £50 that offers Patatas Bravas, Picanto Chorizo, 6oz Ribeye Steak, Albondigas, Gambas Pil Pil, and Salt n Pepper Calamari. Basically, all the crowd-pleasers to kick your evening off with are in there, and you can always add to it if you fancy; we did, opting to have some Parmesan and Truffle Fries (£6.50).
Whilst we waited for our Tapas dishes, I did my usual thing of admiring the décor. Clearly, the best bit is the views out over the marina and surrounding landscape but, given that we were in the darkness of a winters’ evening, we had to make do with the twinkling jetty lights; very pretty they were, too. The large windows are dressed with huge drapes that are beautiful in their own right, but what impressed me was the fact that their two layers matched up perfectly with the duo-tone of the walls: terracotta at the bottom and a pearly grey on the top. Pale wood lattices are primarily there to hide the air conditioning vents, but they are so striking that they are a feature on their own merit; who says that functional can’t be fantastic as well?
Chef and his team were like whirling tornadoes; watching them at their stations and moving around each other in the kitchen space was mesmerising, and our eyes lit up as we spied our platter being arranged. Next thing, Sophie and Charlotte were placing the multitude of cast iron skillets and bowls before us, and they really were all things of beauty. Plentiful fresh herbs and pea shoots garnished each dish and the swirling plumes of steam carried the most incredible aromas on them – I was nagging The Man to hurry up and take the photos, so eager was I to get stuck in!
Without exception, the dishes were plentiful and piping hot, and very pleasing to look at with their multitude of colours and textures. I dived straight into the juicy, whole King Prawns, licking the juices off my fingers as I pulled the head away from the butterflied body. The sweet flesh was partnered with halved Cherry Tomatoes that were soft from being roasted, and mellow slices of Garlic; even The Man ventured to try one now that he is forging a tentative relationship with Prawns.
His Nibs is a total fan of Chorizo, so he was piling slices of the spicily coloured sausage onto his plate and spooning the Honey Butter sauce on as well. Whilst I do like Chorizo, I have found that some types repeat on me which has made me a bit apprehensive in eating it. However, I’m pleased to say that the Chorizo at Compamigos isn’t as spicy as others; you still get all the flavour, just none of the repeat factor. The Salt and Pepper Calamari rings were wonderfully soft and tender to the bite and came with a superb Honey, Soy and Sesame dip that worked equally well with the Ribeye slices. Talking of the Ribeye steak, it had been sliced to reveal that it had been cooked to medium/rare perfection: I grabbed the rarer strips, The Man opted for the more medium bits. The flavour of the Beef was marvellous, complimented brilliantly by Beef Fat Crumb and a zingy, bright-tasting Chimichurri sauce.
Cubes of Potato were served in a robust, unctuous Tomato sauce and smothered with vibrant Aioli that had our taste buds dancing with joy. Chopped, fresh Chives added a great Oniony zest to this classic Tapas offering that, even for a self-confessed non-spudophile such as myself, were hitting all the right spots. His Nibs was in his element, scoffing the crisp spuds left, right and centre! As he was absorbed in that task, I began to tuck into the Pork-and-Beef-mix Meatballs. These delightfully soft minxes were the epitome of comfort food: flavoursome and satiating, they were paired with a tasty Tomato sauce and topped with Manchego cheese that had formed a ribbony blanket over them all as it had melted. I love it when melted cheese forms those strings, there’s just something pleasing about twirling them around your fork. Or is that just me?
Skinny fries were the perfect shade of gold and had been generously topped with finely grated Parmesan; the combination of nutty Potato and pungent cheese was excellent on the palate, and the addition of earthy, indulgent Truffle made this side something special. Throughout our feasting, Charlotte and Sophie had checked on us several times, and we were offered more water and drinks as they passed. Chef had also been looking out every now and then, and was pleased to see a sea of clean skillets, bowls and plates when we finally put down our cutlery.
It’s no secret that I’m a total piggy, so it shouldn’t come as a shock that I ordered an after cocktail as well as dessert! The Man opted to have the Millionaires Chocolate Pot (£9) to conclude his meal, and I had the Tiramisu (they’d run out of Sherry Trifle), but just reading the S’mores Martini description (£9.50) made me instantly addicted to it (and that was before I even took my first sip!).
Before the liquid dessert, though, were the actual desserts, and wowsers, did both of them look tantalising. Arranged in rounded tumblers, you could see the distinct layers of each one an both were similar colour palates of caramel and brown, with paler cream in there as well. Tiramisu translates as ‘pick me up’ and I defy anyone not to feel buoyed when they’re eaten this treasure; coffee, chocolate and silky Mascarpone all blended seamlessly in my mouth, comforting my senses. I did pinch some of the crunchy Shortbread crumb from His Nibs’ Choc Pot for a bit of texture and, I have to say, it went superbly – just saying, Chef!
The Chocolate Mousse in the Millionaire’s Pot is a vegan version but you’d never guess; it was intensely cocoa-y and just like velvet on the tongue; The Man was beside himself with happiness as he popped spoonful after spoonful into his mouth. Salted Caramel added a gorgeous hint of ozonic tang against the richness of the mousse, and the Shortbread crumb was crunchy, adding a much-needed blast of texture to this dessert. This was a perfectly deconstructed version of the iconic squares of Millionaires Shortbread sold in many bakeries up and down the country. Top notch, Chef.
Having demolished our ‘actual’ desserts, it was time for me to sample my chosen [liquid] dessert cocktail. To make a S’Mores Martini, the Mixologist at Compamigos melds Nelsons Chocolate Rum, Kahlua, Baileys, and Chocolate sauce all together and then tops it with toasted Marshmallows; the result is blooming fantastic. Honestly, if you haven’t had one of these delights before, you need to try one…you can thank me later. His Nibs had his usual black coffee (which we re-labelled as an ‘alcohol free’ dessert cocktail, to make him feel better!), and said it was a great blend that was rich enough to end a meal with without being bitter.
Hot Wings very happily awarded to Compamigos for their Tapas offering; it offers great value and variety for everyone. To book a table call 0283 702669 or visit the website www.compamigos.co.uk and hit the ‘book now’ button; you can also view the current menus by hitting the ‘menus’ tab. Compamigos is open 7 days a week: Mon-Thurs 10am-10pm, Fri and Sat 10am-11pm, and Sun 10am-9pm.
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