Tapas at Ambiente
Sharing with friends and family
Since opening our first Ambiente Tapas restaurant in 2007, our inspiration was, and continues to be, quite simple. We wanted to recreate that typically Mediterranean experience of informally sharing a mix of freshly prepared dishes with friends and family. And nowhere does this better than Spain.
Here’s Johnny!
Johnny, our Executive Chef, is our tapas creator! He takes inspiration from different Spanish regions, seasonality, fresh ingredients, current trends and Spanish cooking methods (our Josper ovens for example) to create flavourful and exciting tapas!
Johnny’s been with us since 2010 so knows the company and Spanish food inside and out. Over to you Johnny:
“The more I talked with Tim and Zoe [owners of Ambiente], the more I realised how much passion and enthusiasm I had for authentic Spanish food and ingredients. Over the years, I've travelled to Spain as much as possible, both through work and on family adventures, learning everything there is to know about Spanish food and cooking methods.
On my travels, I often find myself in small, family-owned restaurants and Tabancos, ones off the beaten tourist tracks, where heritage, simplicity and seasonal produce are infused throughout everything they do.
The Spanish hold their food in high acclaim. The culture around their food and cooking methods have been held onto throughout generations and passed down over time, often using simple ingredients to produce some of the most memorable dishes. That's the real beauty of Spanish ingredients and cooking, traditionally the best dishes are peasant dishes.
It's their culture, heritage and also the simplicity of their dishes that I have in mind when I open up my notebook and write down recipe ideas ready for our next menu refresh. Looking back over the years, our dishes have evolved over time, incorporating new ways of cooking (our indoor Josper ovens are a testament to this!), Spanish ingredients and taking into account an ever-evolving food scene (our menu now features a large section of plant-based tapas). I'm proud of what our menu has become and excited for where it's going. “
Johnny, Executive Chef, Ambiente Tapas
Our kitchen teams
The kitchens are the beating heart of each of our restaurants and our kitchen teams undergo rigorous training to ensure you enjoy the tastiest tapas each time you visit.
Kitchen training includes lively cook-off sessions, where every step of cooking and plating are meticulously demonstrated. These sessions are recorded for our entire team, ensuring consistency throughout our restaurants.
But our chefs don't just confine their training to the kitchen. Regular trips to Spain and visits to Josper HQ (the manufacturer of our charcoal ovens) in Barcelona help our chefs immerse themselves in Spain’s culinary world, learning new skills and returning with inspiration to share with the entire team.
Venturing beyond our kitchen, team trips to suppliers like Class One (our Yorkshire-based fresh produce suppliers) and Brindisa (our specialist Spanish produce suppliers) deepen our team's appreciation for the raw ingredients that they work with.
Cooking methods
The most prominent cooking methods in Spain are a la Plancha (on the plancha), cocido (stewing) and A la Brasa (charcoal grilling).
We incorporate each of these cooking methods into our dishes, and our Fossgate, Leeds and Hull restaurants focus heavily on grilling using our Josper charcoal ovens and incorporating the rich, smokey and charred flavour that these impressive bits of kit produce.
Read more about our Josper ovens in our blog.
What is tapas?
The short answer? A collection of small plates enjoyed to make up a larger meal. The long answer? Slightly more interesting!
Tapas originated in Spain and there are numerous origin stories as to how it began, with each Spanish region claiming to be the birthplace of this iconic tradition!
However, the word Tapas might provide a clue into how it all first started. The word tapas is believed to have come from the Spanish verb Taper, which means to cover. And a tapa is also a word for a lid. Which links into our first origin story where bartenders in Southern Spain started using small pieces of bread, ham or cheese as a way of preventing dust and flies from entering their patron’s drinks.
But another origin story claims that King Alfonso X of Castille decreed that taverns, or tabancos, couldn’t serve wine unless a small nibble accompanied it to help prevent drunkenness.
Whatever the origin, the tapas custom has evolved into a social and culinary custom with people gathering in tabancos, bars and restaurants enjoying small bites along with their drinks, encouraging conversation and being social!