El Toro Sheffield: A great value Broomhill tapas experience

Actually, getting inside, the restaurant as a whole has a warm and soft-edged feeling to it that was nice and inviting, very cosy and earthy. Its menu is made out on blackboards on the walls and it seems to be exclusively rustic hardback or wicker chairs. If only it was sunnier, I’m sure the whole look comes together when the sun is beaming outside.

It was a rainy Wednesday night though…and unfortunately, it was empty when we nipped in at 6.30pm, and stayed that way while we were there. I only say it because some bustle could have lent some ambience to the visit we didn’t get to see at the time, but the waitress was very welcoming. And, another reason we picked out El Toro was they still had half an hour on their early bird special - three tapas and a drink for £15.95.

The early bird menu is all classics. Three juicy meatballs in red sauce, as good as I’ve had in England. They’ve got some great garlic mushrooms (not the crispy kind, which is what I was hoping for, but they’re still good) and the chicken wings deserve eating to the bone.

My mate didn’t like the lentils and chorizo for “filling him up too quick”, he told me as I ate the rest of the dish with a spoon, not seeing his point.

I also went for an additional choice I picked off the board to go with the early bird options, which was garlic prawns, because of course, and I combo-ed the bread from the tortilla espanolas to mop up the oil.

The surprise runaway winner for both of us was El Toro’s goat cheese and beetroot salad - just sweet and earthy and sharp and great.

With the patatas alioli/bravas, these were a bit like (in a very good way) odds and ends from the chip shop...and we finished them all.

For £42 between two people I couldn’t be happier, and another good spot in Broomhill.