Hairy Lemon

Yeah it's ok, food is pretty good to be fair, but I must admit I have always struggled with the Waitresses, as they seem to all be in a Parallel universe, what every I asked for I got the opposite! Bar staff asked if I can have a rioja and got the response "What colour is that one", which despite the hummer, left me wondering?

The term "Tapas Bar" to describe an establishment that has a range of small portioned dishes is wrongly used in this country and often does not match the quality, variety or ambience of an authentic tapas bar in Spain. Having said that I have no objection to the idea of anywhere offering a range of small snack meals which allows customers to relax in a convivial environment. You will never get anywhere near to the whole tapas bar ethos in this country, if you want it get to Seville were there are the best in all of Spain.

I visited the Hairy Lemon recently on the recommendation on a friend (I was warned it was not perhaps as authentic enough for me having travelled extensively in Spain) so I had already got an image in my mind of a bar trying to "McDonaldize" the Spanish classic, I was so wrong.

You enter into a large room with great décor & good natural light from the large windows, great bar area & also booths to sit in in a cosey casual way.

I arrived early so fortunately there were only a couple of other people (drinking), I asked if the restaurant was serving food - it was.

I had already done a little homework first having visited the website so I knew what the menu would be like, this is were we stray from the "authentic" tapas bar and into the anglo-british hybrid we have all over the country. The menu was a mix of Spanish tapas & Greek Mezze, which as first puzzled me but then I thought why not it is the same principle!

I asked the waitress about the portion sizes as it is wise in these types of eateries I was confident that three dishes would be enough for me so ordered three classic Spanish tapas & a bottle of Spanish white wine, asking that the Pan Cat be brought first & the other two "as mains".

Pan Cat - a variation on the classic "Pan con Tomate" sometimes called Pan Catalan which is why I assume it had this catchy name. Hmmm its a variation which was nice, but I still prefer the classic way of rubbing the bread with garlic, tomato & in my case a drizzle of good olive oil & a sprinkle of Maldon salt but not to detract from the dish, it has left me wanting to play around with this simple classic at home - thanks for that guys :-)

My main two tapas dishes were Patas Bravas & Montado de Lomo & the portions would have been ideal for two but I was not deterred in anyway. Again these two were a variation of the traditional tapas, the patatas bravas were new potatoes that has simply been split & fried on the open side served with an adequate picante sauce (could have been hotter for me though), for me it didn't quite work, sautéed cubes of potato really is the only way this dish can be served not using new potatoes that require a delicate sauce which the Brava sauce shouldn't be! The Lomo (pork) was perfection with two large loin slices served on of course a crouton - montado is a very popular way of serving tapas (on bread).

In conclusion, The Hairy Lemon is not a tapas bar in the traditional & authentic Spanish sense but is has the ethos of being a relaxing place to have good food or at least an agreeable variation on the traditional & all at very affordable prices.

I would eat there again as there were a number of other "traditional" tapas on the menu that I should want to try & for anyone who is vegetarian don't worry nearly half the menu was vegetarian (17 dishes if memory serves me)

This biggest let down though was the service. I had eaten when there was a chance in staff, the waitress that had served me left & the new waiting staff seemed more interested in chatting/catching up than a customer wanting to order a coffee & get the bill. It does get my goat when the staff are more interested in themselves than the customers they are there to serve. It is this point that lost it that 5th Star for me, I had a good meal in a great place just not totally happy with the service which hopefully will be better next time I visit.

Nice tapas but in my opinion no where near as good as El Gato Negro in Ripponden, My critism with the Harry Lemon was that 4 of us ate and all the dishes where put on the table at the same time which made it hard to move, this also resulted in a few of the dishes been cold by the time we got round to eating them. the food was nice but not all fresh this confirmed by the pinging of the microwave every 30 secs !!! At El Gato the food is brought out as and when it’s ready which is always fresh..

I have to disagree strongly with previous negative comments. This is a very popular town centre venue. The Hairy Lemon is just on the edge of the 'circuit’; central enough to be accessible but far enough away to deter the 'idiots’ who can so often spoil town centre evenings. The Tapas style menu offers huge choice of ingredients and portions at a reasonable price for town centre and in my experience the service is generally very friendly (can be very busy at weekends though). Very good choice for vegetarians too. Definately worth a visit and ideally situated for the Playhouse and Victoria Theatre.

Food rather bland well matched to the unsmiling waitress. Never again.

Excellent tapas bar with so much to choose from in a relaxed atmosphere.

Worth booking in advance as is a very busy place but you don’t feel rushed once in there.

Lots of smaller dishes and sides to choose from on the menu with good choice for vegeterians too and specials board available. Very reasonably priced and cater for couples and large groups.

One of the best tapas places we’ve visited and will definitely go again.

Hairy Lemon is not a bad little bar (I hate the name though!).

The menu is tapas and it’s well done. All the usual staples of a tapas bar and they know how to prepare them well. I like to start with the pitta bread and dips - good one to share with a friend.

Its a good mix between restaurant and bar. It’s a good place for a lunch with the team from work and also drinks with friends after work. We are coming here for our christmas night out as you can also rent the upstairs for functions.

If you like this then definitely try out the Brasserie at the Bull just round the corner.

The Hairy Lemon is lovely. There are loads of tapas dishes to choose from, and the staff are very eager to help and advise. If you’re a vegetarian you will love it here - there are loads of options and they’re all gorgeous. It tends to be quiet at lunchtimes, but it gets really busy in the evenings. The decor is lovely and it is very comfortable. Although it’s in Halifax centre it is one of the classier venues. That means paying a bit more, but it is well worth it.

I suggest you book before going to the Hairy Lemon as it does get quite busy especially close to Christmas. Plenty of parking on an evening round that area if you need it, if not taxis are easily found!
Great food with lots of choice, my friends and I ordered most of the menu last time we went and we still managed to find room for pudding too!
A lively place, well decorated with nice furniture and large tables for the mountains of food you’ll probably order. A popular place with large parties, i’ll probably be paying them another visit fairly soon.

The hairy lemon is the closest thing to a trendy tapas bar in Halifax. There is a pleasant relaxed atmosphere with plenty of squishy leatehr chairs. The food is excellent, however there are so many nice things on the menu that there is a tendancy to overorder! There is a good selection of lagers and continental beers available from the bar, but they are at the pricier end of drinks in the town.