EMMA DUNN averts a near disaster on a visit to an Argentinian steak house

El Toro,

6 Devizes Road,

Swindon SN1 4BJ

Tel: 01793 485066

Open: 6pm to 11pm Tuesday to Saturday

BY THE time I’d finished my meal at El Toro, I had been whisked right back to the streets of Valencia... and if I couldn’t see Devizes Road in Old Town through the blinds, I would have really believed I was there.

My parents were visiting Swindon for the evening and I had chosen the Old Town restaurant, which only opened two years ago specialising in Argentinian steaks and grills, Spanish tapas, peasant dishes from Central America, specialities from the Basque region and spicy Portuguese treats.

As soon as we walked in, a wall of cooking aromas hit us, a wonderful combination of meat, garlic and a whole host of herbs.

There were a couple of other people in the restaurant already, which I thought wasn’t bad for 7.30pm on a Wednesday.

We were shown to our table and spent ages deliberating over the menu, which included dozens of hot and cold tapas, as well as individual main courses.

My mum and I decided to share some tapas for our main course and ordered pork and beef meatballs in tomato sauce (£4.95), Spanish omelette (£3.50), red and green peppers sautéed with chorizo (£4.80), chickpeas stewed with bacon, chorizo, carrots and onion (£5.20) and a large toasted bread with anchovies in olive oil and vinegar (£6.95).

My dad originally went for the Asturian bean stew with black pudding, chorizo and bacon (£10.95) for his main course, but after being told it wasn’t available he switched and joined us with the tapas.

He added sautéed potatoes in tomato, chilli and garlic sauce (£3.45), deep fried squid with aioli (£4.65), and Spanish black pudding (£3.95) to our order.

It wasn’t long before our food was brought over, and it was an impressive spread of dishes in authentic Spanish looking tapas pots.

The whole selection, which we shared between the three of us, was freshly cooked and full of flavour, just like the food I tasted during a holiday in Valencia about five years ago.

The chorizo was delicious, the meatballs were smothered in a tasty tomato sauce and the calamari, which I would usually find too rubbery, was perfect.

Each dish was as good as the next and we ate the lot.

As we were eating, more people arrived and the atmosphere really came to life. Every table was full and we could barely hear the Hispanic music in the background for the laughter and conversation in the room.

After finishing our plates, I put my paper serviette on what I thought was the table, but was actually where the tea light was glowing atmospherically.

I just managed to put out the flames fast enough to avoid becoming the Adver journalist who burnt down El Toro!

By the time the waitress offered us tea or and coffee I had become so wrapped up in the Hispanic feel of the place that I hesitated before ordering my cup of tea because I don’t usually like the way the milk tastes when I’m abroad.

Our bill, which also included two lemonades, two San Miguels and two coffees, came to £54.85.