It's a traditional, no-frills tapas place that's been open for 22 years – if it were French it would be a bistro.
The chef earned a reputation first under Ferran Adrià at El Bulli and then at his own Commerç 24, but it's Tapaç 24, a no-fuss tapas joint opened in 2006, that offers the best bargains.
Youth culture's dead, and we've been told that luxury flats, "the Bake Off" and no-reservation tapas places in Soho are adequate replacement for pints and pills and the kind of memories that are only created when most of the world's gone to bed.
"No, it's tapas, share stuff," Nazarian said.
The longest queues in this part of London now tend to be outside the latest "no bookings" tapas bar, rather than for some form of entertainment that promises to flout the rules of conventional society.
To the east is Despaña SoHo specialty foods and Tapas Cafe (No. 408), which has proved such a successful ambassador for Spanish products like hand-cut jamon ibérico that it opened Vinos y Mas next door (No. 410), a tiny space packed with great finds from Spain's stellar wine regions, the Rioja to the Priorat.
Over in Pittsfield, Mission Bar & Tapas (no phone, missionbarandtapas.com, dinner for two with wine $40)serves small plates – meat and cheese platters, pork tacos and paella – perfect for a pre- or post-theatre dinner.
Suddenly, if fleetingly, I was no longer the pariah of the tapas bar but the hero.
MERCADO ON KENT An ambitious Williamsburg place for tapas is no more.
There is no seating, just take the tapas and the beer and have them outside.
