El Pulpo Witham offers up fine cuisine and ambiance

The Spanish-themed restaurant and tapas bar has been a popular dining destination in Witham for the last eight years since it opened in 2016.

Owned by Witham residents Dave O'Shaughnessy and his partner Susan Coppin, the two-floor restaurant can fit up to 66 customers overall.

I was charmed by the ground floor’s rustic décor, calming ambiance and open-plan kitchen space, where foodies can see their delicious meals being prepared.

Ground floor - El Pulpo after the afternoon rush (Image: Newsquest)

Calming - the bar area (Image: Newsquest)

The upstairs section feels more like the main area of the restaurant with every nook and cranny being effectively used.

El Pulpo is open Tuesday to Sundays and customers can enjoy a wide range of freshly prepared dishes - most pick two to three plates per visit.

All meals are what I would describe as generous medium-sized portions, not enough to be a full meal on its own but when combing two or three plates, you’ll be more than satisfied.

Nice - one of the upstairs dining areas (Image: Newsquest)

Pretty - Some of the décor as you head upstairs (Image: Newsquest)

Luckily, I walked in on a day where the business has its three for two deal between 12pm to 3pm on Tuesdays to Fridays (not available in December).

I was delighted with the three dishes I picked - the chicken special skewers and patatas bravas which are deep fried potatoes in a homemade spicy tomato sauce.

The third was the popular pesto de piel crujiente de pollo al limon - lemon chicken with crispy skin, and pesto.

All the dishes were delicious, even more so for the discounted price of £19 thanks to the week-day promotion.

Tasty - the chicken skewers and the fried potato dishes (Image: Newsquest)

Exceptional - the lemon chicken plate with pesto and sauce (Image: Newsquest)

Exterior - El Pulpo from the outside (Image: Newsquest)

I can’t wait to visit again to test out more of the range of fish and vegetable tapas available.

Before I left, Dave, a man with a great love for the country of Spain, explained why they opened a Spanish tapas bar in Witham of all places.

He said: “My partner worked in the city, and we wanted to do something together. Casual dining was the box to tick, and Spanish food was the one to go for.

“Tapas is about small plates and sharing food. We can go to different parts of the globe, and this style of dining is very in vogue.”

On Saturday’s El Pulpo also hosts a 'bottomless brunch' option. To find out more, go to elpulpo.co.uk.