Fernandez and Wells, Somerset House WC2: Cafe of the Week

Fernandez and Wells, Somerset House WC2

I’m a big fan of Spanish mini-chain Fernandez and Wells. Step inside one of its three teensy Soho café-bars and you can pretend you’re in a Seville backstreet rather than central London – the coffee, Iberico ham, cheeses and wine list are all excellent.

Fernandez and Wells opened its fourth branch in Somerset House in 2011. But, if like me, you go expecting another hole-in-the-wall joint with seating for all of three people and a small dog, you’ll be in for a surprise. Fernandez and Wells at Somerset House is huge. Spanning three rooms in the East Wing of this 18^th Century neo-classical building, the café seats more than 100 ham-fans and coffee-lovers. Some of the intimate, pseudo-dive feel of the other branches is inevitably lost to the high ceilings, dangling chrome strip lights and white walls. On the plus side, it looks beautiful, modern but classic at the same time, in keeping with the building. Also, you can get a seat.

The counter at Fernandez and Wells, Somerset House

Like the other branches of Fernandez and Wells, the menu is simple – various hams, cheeses and simple tapas, along with sandwiches and cakes from the long, gleaming counter.

Lomito Iberico de Bellota, Fernandez and Wells

We visited for lunch and ordered a plate of lomito Iberico de Bellota, cut from the blade end of the loin. It was insanely good - iintensely piggy and nutty, with a shimmer of grease. One of the cafe's three rooms is known as the 'ham room' - there's a big leg of 36-month-cured Iberico on the bar ready to carve and fat hams hang down one wall of the room. The Iberico was as good as I've eaten anywhere in London, including at the excellent Jose in Bermondsey.

A daily special of squash soup was full of flavour and chilli heat, but a bit thin and watery. It came with thin slices of dark sourdough (possibly a rye-blend), which were cold and stiff with a blackened crust. I couldn’t tell if they were just a bit stale and crusty or had actually been briefly toasted and left to go cold. The white sourdough served with the lomito was fresh, chewy and gorgeous – they should’ve just served the soup with that, too.

Slurping down the soup, I got serious order envy over J’s roasted chicken sandwich ; tender chicken stuffed into a crusty bap with an incredibly creamy, garlicky aioli, rocket, tarragon and chilli flakes.

Tiffin, Fernandez and Wells

The flat whites were flawless, and from the collection of tempting cakes on the counter we shared a couple of slices of a dark and rich tiffin. If you love the intimate, buzzy atmosphere of the smaller branches of Fernandez and Wells, you might find a bit of that missing here but isn't it great to know that hidden behind the many Prets, Neros and Starbucks that pockmark the Strand, you can find a cafe with true style. And a seat. 

Fernandez and Wells, Somerset House, The Strand, London WC2R 1LA