The Providores and Tapa Room

Sometimes it’s just fun to go out and try something new. My husband and I walk past The Providers and Tapa Room a lot, and we finally decided to go in, without a reservation! Maybe they don’t even take those, who knows. They were able to squeeze us in. The room above is for dinner, and below (ground floor) is for Tapas. We preferred the tapas.
We tried the bruschetta, roast sweet potato, laksa, and crispy Sichuan baby squid. All very different, but all quite delicious.
Apparently I need to make it to their brunch…

Promising on the outside, soulless on the inside.
This place has an extremely interesting brunch menu, I went for chorizo pineapple and rocket brunch burger. It was served on a small side plate, no garnish and it wasn’t cheap. Go figure.
Strawberry nut milk was nice but expensive. Frittata was nothing special.
Service aloof, small portions, expensive and not worth the bother.

Ask any American where he or she goes for brunch, and you’ll hear about Providores. The breakfast menu is full of winners. The chorizo, french toast, and egg dishes are crowd pleasers. I like the sweetcorn and blueberry fritters – an alternative for people who don’t love eggs. The Tapas room is a bit more casual and doesn’t take brunch reservations. The upstairs room is a bit more high end and takes reservations. Amazing cocktails. We were surprised at how innovative the meal was. The fancier room comes with higher prices, but was worth it for a quiet date night.

I went for brunch on a Sunday. Not only food options are creative, but they’re aplenty as well. Not every dish is a hit, but there are occasional hits nevertheless (e.g. sweetcorn and blueberry fritters). I liked the Turkish eggs, but they didn’t live up to my expectations (including somehow the expectation that they’d be spicy/​hot, judging by the colour — they were quite bland in that sense, on the delicate side). Tasty soy latte, tasty Bellini, good service.

I went to The Providores for a quick lunch last Friday and was seated upstairs in the fine dining area. I had their crispy Dingley Dell pork belly dish, it was served with lentils, salt baked heritage carrot, cumquat and damsons sauce. The dish was finely executed and full of flavours. The crackling of the pork belly was perfect: crispy and not greasy. The lentils were rich in flavour. I usually prefer my pork with apple sauce but the combination with damsons sauce was quite good and unusual.
My friends had the Beef Pesto dish and Roast Creedy Carver duck breast. Both dishes looked beautiful and smelled delicious when they arrived on the table.

We really enjoyed the atmosphere and unique brunch items here. The Turkish eggs are a must — however next time I ask for them I’ll ask if they can make them more spicy. Their brunch cocktails are good too! I tried their chocolate vodka Bloody Mary on their recommendation and it was good! I will definitely go back here for brunch when I find myself in London again.
Thanks
Pooja

Lovely brunch!
Fell in love with the turkish eggs at Kopapa! (Check out that review!) And noticed they were doing it here too!!! :D really amazing dish! Sooo delicious i want it again now!
Appart from that, they also do a very interesting black pudding with apple stir fry and very interesting smoothies with bunch of fruits i dont even know!!!
In terms of location cannot really go wrong with Marylebone High St! Love that street, great mixture of standarf high st shops and more independent offering, and when the sun is shinning its very great!
One thing worth the mention — my friend had booked for us a table but when we arrived there was no reservation for us. Luckily they managed ro get us a sit (we did arrive at 1.45pm) but this place tends to be very busy on Sunday so if we had been a little unlucky (or arrived earlier when busier) this disappointment would not have gone done too well… Maybe just unluky they lost our reservation but still wanted to mention…

Had a nice dinner here a few nights ago. Food was amazing. Duck confit and grilled skirt steak was the highlight. Both were excellently prepared… especially the crispy skinned duck.
Wine was nice and service fine.
A little pricey, but excellent for date night!

First let me warn you: this is not a TAPAS restaurant.
Being new to the area we decided to go for tapas as dinner at Providores because it looked cosy, busy, not too formal from the outside and the menu was promising although already a bit different than we expected. But still it looked nice and we were promptly seated at high tables, a bit close to our neighbours.
Providores proved to be totally different than expected and this proved actually to be a very good thing. We were positively surprised with the creativity of the dishes, the ingredients and the quality of the food. We just ordered a quite random mix of some small dishes and shared them all and we loved them all. The tuna, the Turkish eggs, the mini squid, the Laksa, and all the other food we had, it was all very very tasty. Much pricier than the expected tapas, but much better value as well.
So why do they call this place Tapa Room? If we believe the very friendly owners’ story this is because there is a tapa hanging in the room… meaning a flap, a lid, a cover, like a curtain… So now you know.

Worst meal I’ve had in London. I wrote this email below to the restaurant:
I came out of my way to eat here at the recommendation of TimeOut– specifically for the chargrilled asparagus. What a bloody disappointment you are.
I had somewhere to be so I even brought a Tupperware container to get the dish to go, to make it easier for the kitchen. The host snootily informed me you «don’t do that.» However, he informed me if I ate there and then couldn’t finish my meal, I would get a doggie bag… so essentially it’s the same bloody thing. Seriously, I am paying YOU money– what’s your reasonable objection?! I have NEVER had this issue at other restaurants I have visited. Customer service FAIL number one.
I relented and was seated and then was promptly ignored for about 5 – 7 minutes– even though it was obvious I was ready to order, with my menus closed in front of me. The Australian waitress pointedly ignored me even though I was thisclosetoher as she served the next table. The LEAST she could have done was acknowledge me and let me know she would be with me in a moment. Not to straight out IGNORE me. Again, your customer service sucks.
Finally, she graced me with her presence and I ordered the asparagus, the courgette soup and the almond milk/​hazelnut/​cocoa shake. The shake– the best part of the meal– arrived quickly as did the asparagus.
You should be ashamed of yourselves for the price you charge for the asparagus. What an underwhelming meal. I have had thick, juicy asparagus spears at many restaurants before and the four, thin asparagus spears you offer with tiny slivers of goat cheese are are pathetic. Seriously, hat you would get at Sainsbury.
The soup– or rather, I should say, soap– arrived, looking lovely and tasting, just like lime soap.
The waitress kindly offered to have the soap soup removed from my bill. I was grateful for that. Another server came over and apologized and said the taste was actually due to the keffir lime. Really? Funny, because I had the same ingredient in a monkfish dish the DAY BEFORE at Dinerama in Shoreditch and it was delicious.
So, in conclusion, please learn actual customer service. I can’t understand why this is SO HARD for you Europeans. I would have happily spent more– and tipped the waitress– if you treated me like a paying customer and human being. As a native New Yorker, the level of service I get in my hometown versus here is like night and day.
I’m an active Unilocaler and TripAdvisor contributor and I’ll recommend everyone stay away from your establishment.
Jennifer C. Smith-​Parker

We made a reservation for brunch on a Saturday and were thrilled when we found that we were being seated on the second floor which was more elegant and quiet. The first level was a very fun and loud mix of people with seats very close together — looks like a great place for a group of friends to have a fun time and laugh out loud. The food was delicious and we had a great pot of tea as well!

Came here again and remembered something I wanted to add! They have really decent gluten free bread and really care about making things safe for coeliacs like myself. They’re very accommodating and even ask if you are ok with trace products or not!
Coffee was super great AGAIN! Really love this place!

Favourite brunch spot so far! Amazing food and great vibe.
We went on a Sunday at 10.30am and they seated the two of us within 5mins.
Great menu with a variety of options menu for a decent price! Definitely try the Sweetcorn fritters.

Ah eu queria poder dar uma nota melhor para este lugar, porque ele tem tudo para ser melhor do que foi para mim.
Parei aqui para tomar um café, usar o WiFi e trabalhar um pouco. Sentei no balcão em frente a janela, que é perfeito para assistir a galera passeando por Marylebone High St.
Primeiro tomei um capuccino, estava gostoso. Ainda fiquei por lá por umas 2h e pedi um bule de chá e um prato de biscoitos e docinhos. O prato era lindo, tão lindo que dava dó de comer.
Entre biscoitinhos, macarons e mais o prato tinha cerca de 10 opções de guloseimas diferentes, eu comi todas, dei pelo menos uma mordida, mas para ser muito honesta não gostei de nenhuma. Eu adoro doces, chocolate e é difícil não me fazer feliz com um prato assim, mas acho que estava azarada.
O preço também não é dos melhores. OK que estamos em uma das zonas nobres de Londres, mas 7 libras por um prato de mini-​doces e 5 libras por um bule de chá é um pouco abusivo.
Resumindo: em mais ou menos 2h aqui gastei 16 pounds e não sai 100% feliz.
Acho que não voltaria para um café da tarde, há opções muito mais gostosas e com preços mais acessíveis na região, mas talvez o almoço ou jantar valham a pena.

Probably my favourite brunch spot in London thus far!
First, the food was amazing. Unlike other brunch places, it had a solid list of unique, creative options apart from the classics such as eggs benedict. I ordered the grilled chorizo on a bed of sweet potato, and it was phenomenal. The chorizos were grilled just perfectly, and the sweet potato bed complemented the chorizos very well. The seasoning overall was appropriate, and everything was in harmony. My friends each ordered the French toast and the eggs royale, both of which looked great as well.
Second, the venue is really cozy and cute. Granted, it was a bit small to accommodate the huge crowd on a Sunday morning (and hence, making me rate the place as less than five stars), but the overall ambience was authentic and fitting with the food it served.
Finally, the service was a okay (another reason for four instead of five stars). It took them almost a full half hour to seat us, then another good twenty minutes to serve our food. When we asked to check on our food, the server was a bit rude, simply saying that the kitchen is busy and we should expect to wait twenty to twenty five minutes in general. However, once the food was served and the crowd abated a bit, the service improved as well.
Overall, a classy brunch spot in a classy neighbourhood!

Cool vibe! Original take on tapas, but perhaps a bit more fusion that my taste. Menu changes frequently, so there is always something new on it. The upstairs is more quieter and «sit down». Downstairs is more communal and cosy. You won’t regret brunch or dinner here.
p. s. Wine list is pretty good for with good old and new world selections

So I’d say this is the ideal place for a posh meal aimed at impressing contacts.
I went here with colleagues and it’s the perfect amount of posh meets profesh meets tasty.
After the first 10mins of figuring out the menu, we ordered and I certainly wasn’t disappointed by the meal. The fish I ordered was perfectly cooked with some great sides and sauces which I felt was something I couldn’t make myself. I was dreaming about the dish all afternoon whilst at work.
Also the portions weren’t too big. One colleague complained of small portions but I personally thought it was perfect coupled with a great quality latte and some lovely bread.
The biggest tell tale of an obnoxious place is how many adjectives they put before the crux of the dish eg ‘fresh, indian, pan seared with a dash of thyme beef’. This place was such a victim of this. Simplify the menu to at least put the main idea of the dish up top followed by a description I’d say is the friendliest.
Anyway, worthwhile for a biz lunch!

The best turkish eggs ever! Their coffe is good too. I always go for breakfast so can’t say really much on the rest of the menu. Everything looks fresh and yummy.

WOW this place is amazing! I booked the upstairs Providores to meet up with someone for the first time, and this is the ideal place. Downstairs they don’t take reservations and it is more casual, but upstairs there is loads of room and it wasn’t even crowded on a Sunday. The tables were half full and the service was excellent. It was relaxing, we could sit back and talk, and it was the exact opposite of my experience at Honey & Co.
As for the food, it was equally stellar. We both got the Turkish eggs, as I had read great reviews about it, and it did not disappoint. For anyone that’s never had it, there is oil floating around but it is not spicy, and the yogurt tasted quite like hollandaise sauce to me (but probably healthier!) There are two eggs and it comes with two slices of either granary or sourdough toast… could have done with another egg, I think, as I did get a bit hungry later in the afternoon.
I also ordered an iced coffee and it wasn’t exactly what I expected… I had in mind an iced americano, but instead it came rather frothy and blended, but luckily they hadn’t put in sugar, so it wasn’t a total disaster. Overall, I was so impressed and would definitely recommend this restaurant when you want to impress. There were a lot of menu items under 10 pounds, which I also think is quite a steal! Marylebone High Street is also just beautiful, so there is plenty of places nearby to pop by afterward.

The menu was so expansive we did not know what to do with ourselves in the beginning but we eventually figured it out.
This is a small restaurant and the seating is a bit cramped downstairs as there is a high communal table in the middle of the floor that probably seats about 10 or so, along with the normal dining tables which probably seat another 10.
Out of the lengthy menu we went with the plate of jamon, the sake cured salmon, the Scottish scallops, and the bruschetta. All were quite excellent, and if the rest of the menu were this good we would not think anything of eating here multiple times a week.
The food arrived at a fairly rapid cadence and the wait staff were very friendly and knowledgeable about all of the items on the menu — the bruschetta and the sake cured salmon were their recommendations.

Wir waren im Providores zum Frühstück und wurden nicht enttäuscht. Statt der immer wieder kehrenden Früstücksvariationen auf vielen Menüs, gab es hier wirklich mal was anderes oder zumindest haben sie sich eine interessante Variation zu den Klassikern ausgedacht.
Außerdem gibt es auch tolle frische Säfte, die man sich zusammenstellen kann.
In dem Restaurant ist immer viel los und man sitzt eng beieinander sodass eine nette Atmosphäre aufkommt.

We ate during a fairly busy lunch hour. Downstairs was packed but they told us that for a slight charge (kinda weird) we could eat upstairs. I’m reading that upstairs is more-​formal. I suppose it is… non-​communal tables with white table clothes. But don’t let that scare you… not all that formal… two or three of us wearing t-​shirts and no one even remotely giving us the stink-​eye. Maybe they save the stink-​eye for people wearing t-​shirts at DINNER.
Anyway, we had the Turkish eggs (see pic) and the chorizo/​egg thingy (see pic)… damn. Damn. It was like discovering a color you didn’t know existed. Looked beautiful, tasted beautiful. It didn’t hurt that I was in London, on a sunny May day, with my wife, whom I love.

Schon eine halbe Stunde vor Eröffnung stehen mehr Leute an als Platz finden, in diesem schicken Bistro/​Café! Also haben wir uns einfach mal mit angestellt — wenn hier jeden Morgen soviele Leute stehen, muss da ja was dran sein. Wir wurden nicht enttäuscht! Eine kreative Frühstücks-​Auswahl, neuseeländisch angehaucht, die uns voll überzeugt hat. Natürlich nicht ganz billig dafür ist man aber auch Mittendrin im szenigen Marylebone!

Das Restaurant wird von einem Neuseeländer geführt, man merkt es m.E. an der eklektischen Küche. Frische Zutaten, sehr lecker, guter Service. Reservierung empfohlen. Ich war dort bislang nur zum Frühstuck/​Lunch, das war richtig gut und empfehlenswert. Preise für Londoner Verhältnisse und die Gegend völlig normal.