I told Mr.N that I wanted to go somewhere fun and cool for my birthday. We always go to all these “posh nosh” restaurants for celebrations and yes, it’s lovely but we are almost always the youngest diners in the room and I just fancied something trendy and contemporary.

The Salt Yard Group boasts four tapas-style restaurants including Salt Yard, Ember Yard, Dehesa and Opera Tavern. Each restaurant has its own unique concept and style of cooking, for example, Ember Yard’s dishes are inspired by primal techniques of cooking over wood and charcoal. Salt Yard is very much about quality produce with a particular emphasis on the marriage of imaginative flavours.

We entered the restaurant to be greeted by a very friendly manager who sat us upstairs. I don’t mean to be difficult but the door was pretty close to our table and I was already feeling cold as it was. I noticed a staircase next to me and had a cheeky cursory glance at the downstairs seating. The downstairs was definitely more atmospheric. There were magnolia seats decorated with velvety cushions against light grey walls, all with a view of the kitchen. I asked if we could move downstairs and the manager without fuss escorted us downstairs. Good start.

After staring at the menu for what felt like hours, we decided on seven plates but, if belly space permitted we would have squeezed another two in!

First came the jamon, leek and manchego croquetas with salsa rosa. I honestly don’t think you can ever go wrong with this Spanish inspired dish, everyone loves a good croquette. Fact.

Next came the grilled chorizo picante, spiced chickpeas topped with a herb yoghurt and olive dressing. The spicy Spanish sausage was smokey and the chickpeas were soft, all in all a delicious dish.

One of my favourites of the night was the Arroz negro with sautéed baby squid and gremolata. This famous Valencian and Catalan dish is made with squid, rice and squid ink. Gremolata is an Italian herb condiment made of lemon zest, garlic and parsley- simple but so good! The dish is so dark that you can’t make out what you are eating but when you are eating something this tasty it doesn’t even matter.

The most visually striking dish without doubt was the Galician-style slow cooked octopus, ratte potatoes with dashes of lemon, chilli and capers. It was a beautiful explosion of summery shades and an explosion of taste on the palette.

We also had the chargrilled bavette, roast cauliflower, spiced cauliflower puree and garlic migas. For someone who doesn’t usually like cauliflower, I really liked this. Bavette is a cut of flank steak which is either cut from the abdominal muscles or buttocks of a cow. If it was the latter, turns out that cow buttocks are actually quite nice!

We were torn between the lamb cutlets and the special of the night, lamb meatballs with mint yoghurt and pickle. The special won and we had no regrets in our choice because these tender bite size balls tasted great.

Last but absolutely not least came the truffle mac cheese. Let me tell you a secret. The first time I had mac cheese was around three years ago. I know, shocking. For most kids mac cheese was a treat, but no, not me, my treat was a curry!

Dessert time. Since the tapas was so incredible, we knew the desserts would be just as incredible so we decided to be rebellious and order two. The first was a valrhona hazelnut chocolate mousse with mini churros, oloroso poached plum and salted chocolate crumb. The mousse was rich and the sharp plum cut through the overall richness of the sweet dish. The second dessert was a carrot cake with whipped mascarpone, carrot jam and caramelised walnuts. Both desserts were sensational but I preferred the chocolate mousse.

It’s not often I say this but I am already trying to find an excuse to go back! The service was spot on, attentive without being intrusive. The restaurant was buzzing and the food was by far some of the best tapas I’ve ever had. The bill came to around £100 with wine so yes, it is pricier than your average tapas joint but it’s that much more exquisite than your average tapas joint. I think it’s the perfect place to go with a few friends as you can try more dishes.

Food: 10/10  Atmosphere: 9/10  Value: 9.5/10

If this restaurant were a fictional character it would be…Gloria Marie Delgado-Pritchett, Modern Family- gorgeous looking, makes bold statements, proud of her rich Hispanic culture and a fun and vibrant all rounder.