It’s worth a proper visit

I SPOTTED this restaurant when I went to review BarSolo – two doors away in the colourful Inverness Street in Camden Town.
I knew it would be good before I sat down – everybody looked happy – the patrons and staff alike.
Bar Gansa (female goose in Spanish) with its cheerful goose logo has a motto: Tapas made with passion and served with love.
This perhaps describes the food and place as well as I could.
When I eat alone I love sitting at the bar, a good place to watch and chat to the bar staff. I learn a lot this way. So perched on the first stool I found out that the new owners are from Poland. Kuba and his brother-in-law bought the restaurant from its owner of 18 years.
“But nothing has changed,” Lionel, the barman tells me. And he ought to know as he has worked there for more than two years and looks very much in charge.
Deceivingly small, Bar Gansa seats about 60 and on Mondays they have flamenco shows from 8.30pm.
I wanted something light and so I chose two starters from a large vegetarian, meat and seafood selection.
The grilled salt cod on sweet potato mash (£4.25) was juicy and the ingredients complimented each other. The inchitos morunos (lamb kebabs £3.75) were excellent with a delicious charcoal taste.
The glass of house white wine (£3) was dry and very good.
Regretting I had to go out to dinner elsewhere I stopped here ogling instead what I could have had: baked seafood casserole served with potatoes and salad (£10.75), baked chicken breast wrapped in Parma ham topped with Manchego cheese (sheep) and served with potatoes and salad (£10.50) and the paella Valenciana: mussels, prawns, chicken, calamari, sweet pepper and peas cooked to a traditional recipe with saffron rice £21.50 (for two and takes 25 minutes to prepare). For dessert you can choose from a chocolate mousse to a mango brulee, a warm chocolate tart, a ricotta ice cream with fruit or a lime and raspberry sorbet served with lychee compote (£3.70).
I arrived to my dinner invitation 10 minutes late and feeling guilty like the person who circumstances force them to have two meals.
But unlike those I had nothing to hide – after all, I’m only thinking of you – so I told my friends where I had been and we all agreed we would soon visit the restaurant and enjoy a whole evening there. Bar Gansa has a good cocktail and wine list and a promise that if you cannot find something you like they will make it for you.
There is a 10 per cent service charge before 5pm and 12.5 per cent afterwards.

Bar Gansa
2 Inverness Street, NW1
020 7267 8909
Open: Sundays-Wednesdays 10am-midnight
Thursdays-Saturdays 10am-1am