On the face of it  replacing an elderly (and past its best) Covent Garden Italian Trat with a new Spanish “Restaurant and Vinateria” sounds like a rather good idea. As the theatre crowds slug it out with the stag parties for a foothold in the bars any interesting new restaurant must be a force for good. Oops has picked up a few warm reviews for its tapas but remains something of an enigma. For openers this is a Spanish, tapas restaurant that doesn’t have a single sherry on its wine list… What’s all that about? It’s a sure fire bet that whatever cuisine offered most of the other restaurants on Catherine Street can provide a chilled glass of something in the sherry line, so this omission is very odd indeed. Apart from those blank pages the wine list at Oops is sound with some drinkable stuff priced at around £20 and more ambitious bottles ranging up to the £80s.

The service is very patchy with the waiters giving every impression that they have never seen the menu before and that they have no idea what the dishes are. The food arrives briskly, perhaps a touch too briskly. Highlights were the “almejas al vino blanco” – a dish of clams cooked moules fashion; and the “morcilla con cebolla y pinones” which was a dish of blood sausage stewed with a large quantity of onions. Apart from these two exceptions there were a few disappointments: “pincho de cordero” was well spiced, the lamb was tender but it came to table cold rather than fresh off the grill.  The classic “patatas bravas” was nowhere near bravas enough and again it came to table at room temperature. The tortillas were fine but again lukewarm – not on the same planet as the delicious small tortillas made to order at Barrafina.

Listed under postres, and nestling among the usual suspects, were two ice creams “helado de higos” a rather good fig concoction and “helado de queso azul” – blue cheese ice cream. In the 1890’s Agnes Marshall impressed the culinary world with her Stilton ice cream, and tasting this Spanish variant you can see why. The creamy, salty, tangy, cold combination was wholly successful.

Oops is a strange place, somehow you feel that it is on the verge of being good. They need some sherry; a crash course in the finer points of friendly and efficient service; and a wake up call in the kitchen. Then, gradually, the silly name will seem more light hearted and less of a description.

Oops, 31 Catherine Street, WC2 (020 7836 3609)

Barrafina, 54 frith Street, W1 (020 7813 8016)

Charles Campion