News Archives

Advent 2013 – what’s behind the door at El Gato Negro?

We’re posting an Advent message, to our friends and followers every day in the run up to Christmas this December, on Facebook and Twitter. You can see them daily on our Twitter feed at the bottom of this page, or join in by ‘liking’ or following us!

However even if you don’t ‘do’ social media, there’s no need for you to miss out. We’ve added a full gallery of the images below for you to enjoy!

After a busy day we can start our #Advent properly… let’s start the countdown to Xmas with a rather good aged sherry!

Day 2 of #Advent…celebrating #paella! Our perfect gift for all fans of the iconic rice dish… http://ow.ly/rleGW

Day 3 of #Advent and what better than some mouth-watering reading from Relish, showcasing the very best of Yorkshire and the North East (including ourselves, of course!)

#Advent day 4 reveals Simon & John basking in September sun & plaudits after being awarded our Michelin #BibGourmand

It's day 5 of our #Advent… featuring our giftworthy & delicious gourmet hamper… the perfect introduction to artisanal Spanish delights! https://www.elgatonegrotapas.com/image-item/gourmet-hamper-media/

It’s day 5 of our #Advent… featuring our giftworthy gourmet hamper… the perfect introduction to artisanal Spanish delights!

Happy Friday! Day 6 of #Advent, and behind today’s door is a seasonal scene from the mantelpiece of Xmas past…

Give a gift guaranteed to make the recipient happy: El Gato Negro gift vouchers https://www.elgatonegrotapas.com/image-item/gift-vouchers/ #advent Day 7

What’s behind today’s #Advent door today (apart from lots of happy lunchtime Sunday diners)? Our festive Xmas tree…

We’ve got great stocking filler gift ideas for you, including these tea towels & mugs! #Advent https://www.elgatonegrotapas.com/image-item/merchandise/

Behind Day 10’s #Advent door: it’s time to wish everyone a very Happy Noel. Today marks a fortnight until Xmas Eve!

#Advent Day11: our stunning ‘último’ gourmet hamper. Top of the range, a fantastic gift idea! https://www.elgatonegrotapas.com/image-item/gourmet-hamper-ultimo/

#Advent Day 12 reveals a little red book & a lip-licking Mr Bibendum behind today’s door https://www.elgatonegrotapas.com/el-gato-negro-is-awarded-a-michelin-bib-gourmand/

#Advent Day 13: our manchego & wine gift set provides the perfect pairing & accompaniments

#Advent Day 14 reveals our family of reindeer decorations, getting excited about #Sunday lunch tomorrow

#Advent Day15 shows our ‘mejor’ gourmet hamper: marvellous morsels & premium products galore!

#Advent Day 16. This delightful knitted robin is reminding you to follow us on #Twitter!

#Advent Day 17… enjoy superb sherry by the glass. Not just for Father Christmas… and no glitter or carrots required!

Gift deadline extension, due to demand! Order by THURS morning for pre-Xmas collection #Advent

Good cheer & Xmas spirits abound on Day 19 of #Advent… we’re proud of our range of excellent wines for all tastes

Reindeer on the march for Day 20 of #Advent!

Day 21 of #Advent (happy solstice too) Behind here lies better food than you find behind many advent calendar doors!

Open today for our last #Sunday before Xmas. See if you can spot our flying santa if you’re here for lunch!

A welcome day off, with the aroma of spices & sherry filling the air before our last service on Xmas Eve #Advent

Open 1-6pm today… then we’ll be hanging up our stockings & relaxing until NYE! Merry Xmas from us, thank you! #Advent

December 8, 2013

December and holiday opening hours

News

We are open for the first four Sundays in December (1st, 8th, 15th, 22) for lunch, from 1-4pm. We will be featuring an offer on different wines for each Sunday to accompany this. As a result of being open on Sundays we will be closed on the Tuesdays, reopening at 6pm on the Wednesday. Our full opening hours in December before Christmas will be

Wed – Thurs 6pm – 9.30pm (last food orders)
Friday 6pm – 10pm (last food orders)
Sat 12-2pm, 6pm – 10pm (last food orders)
Sun 1-4pm

In addition we will also be open for a lunch/afternoon sitting on Christmas Eve (Tuesday 24th) from 1pm-6pm.

We will then be closed over Christmas, reopening only for the ticket-only evening on New Year’s Eve. We reopen to the public for a full service on Thursday 23st January and, as we’re not open for the first Sunday of the month, instead we’ll open on Sunday 26th, and will be offering a free glass of cava to all diners on the day to help chase away the January blues.

We hope you will be able to join us at El Gato Negro in the lead up to Christmas this year!

November 22, 2013

A short break: closed October 7th-17th

News

Even before the news of our recent awards, we’d decided to close the restaurant for a short break before the busy period before Christmas. So we’ll be closed from Mon 7th October, reopening on Thursday 17th October.

Although the restaurant is closed we won’t be putting our feet up: it’s as much about R&D as R&R! We’ll be working on food and wine menu refreshes; with Simon getting some inspiration in Barcelona; and the rest of the team developing new dishes and even going foraging to make the most of nature’s bounty during autumn!

We look forward to seeing you again after we reopen, ready and refreshed for the months ahead.

October 3, 2013

El Gato Negro is awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand

Creds, News

We’re over the moon to have been awarded our first Michelin Bib Gourmand – the award from the iconic guide* which recognises those establishments offering good food at affordable prices.

El Gato Negro is one of just 27 new Bib Gourmands awarded in this year’s Michelin Guide. The Guide now features 143 Bibs across the whole of Great Britain and Ireland; only ten of which are in the North of England and just three, including El Gato Negro, located in Yorkshire. So it’s a huge privilege to be awarded a prestigious Bib; flying the flag for great food in West Yorkshire.

Chef-proprietor Simon Shaw comments: “We’re incredibly proud and honoured to be recognised by the Michelin Guide in this way. It’s a true testament to the restaurant team’s hard work and professionalism and I can’t thank them enough for all their support over the years.”

El Gato Negro has been listed as a Recommended restaurant in previous editions of the Michelin Guides but this, along with another recent strong listing in the Waitrose Good Food Guide, and a series of glowing customer reviews, shows we continue to strive and improve our offering.

We believe it also demonstrates Simon’s vision that providing a mix of confident and exciting Spanish-influenced food, a personally-chosen selection of appropriate wines; and friendly, knowledgable staff in an informal atmosphere will be equally popular with discerning critics and patrons. With plans well underway to take the flavours and ethos of El Gato Negro to a wider audience in 2014 via our lovingly restored Citroen HY van, we look forward to what luck the black cat brings us (and you) in the next twelve months!

*The paper version of the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2014 will be available in bookshops from 4 October 2013, priced at £15.99 (€16.99 in Ireland).

September 26, 2013

Another great review in the Good Food Guide for 2014

Creds, News

Having featured consistently for several years, we are delighted to once again be featured in the Good Food Guide 2014… one of only a select group of eating establishments in this part of the county to do so.

They say “No clichés, just sharp honest tapas” and commend the food, the ambience and the wines. We say thanks for another great review!

September 13, 2013

An evening of South American wines – Thursday 5th September

News

Hot on the heels of last week’s Galician night, we’re very pleased to announce the latest of our highly-popular matched food and drink evenings at El Gato Negro Tapas. We’re holding a very special wine dinner with two great names from South America, hosted with our friends from Berkmann Wine Cellars.

(Updated Wednesday 4 September to reveal the menu and guest wines)

As a pre-dinner drink before we get started we’re going to serve the Santa Rita Gran Hacienda Sauvignon Blanc 2012

The six guest wines and dishes will be

Santa Rita Gran Hacienda Chardonnay Grand Reserva
Scallop ceviche, hand-picked white crab, avocado, heirloom tomatoes, crispy pancetta

Finca Decero Malbec
Alejandro Chorizo, piquillo pepper purée aioli

Finca Decero Cabernet Sauvignon
Neck of lamb fillet, aubergine purée, chimichurri dressing

Finca Decero Mini Ediciones Petit Verdot
Roast duck breast, crushed potato, braised shallots, girolle mushrooms

Finca Decero Amano
Braised ox cheek, roast baby onions, pancetta and button mushrooms

Santa Rita Late Harvest Gewürztraminer Moscatel De Alejandria
Raspberry shortbread with Chantilly cream

Decero Malbec

We will be showcasing the white wines of Santa Rita, one of Chile’s oldest wineries. Their Sauvignon Blanc is superb and has been recently heralded as the best value Sauvignon Blanc by the Sommelier Awards. Following the Santa Rita whites, we will be moving onto some superb reds from the wonderful Finca Decero winery in Argentina.

Simon and the team in the kitchen will once again be flexing their culinary muscles, preparing an array of dishes which will play to the characteristics of each of the wines on the evening. As you’ve come to expect, these special dishes will delight your palates and perfectly match these wonderful Chilean and Argentinian wines.

The price per person is £45, and this includes six stunning South American wines and accompanying, matched dishes from Simon and the team. Reservations can be made by phoning us on 01422 823070, or in person at the restaurant.

Doors open 7.30pm, the meal starts at 8pm. We look forward to you joining us for the evening.

Decero winery

August 24, 2013

Relish North East and Yorkshire – recipe book now available

News

We’ve now got copies of the brand new edition of Relish North East and Yorkshire cookbook on sale at the restaurant. We’ve featured in the previous edition, but this year they’ve combined Yorkshire and the North East, so the range of restaurants and recipes is bigger and more delicious than ever before. It looks beautiful… jam-packed with inspiring recommendations!

The whole book, from our friends at Relish Publications, is filled with an inspiring range of recipes from top chefs across the region, including three from Simon. Here’s one favourite which is featured on their site… Hand Picked White Crabmeat, Avocado Purée & Gazpacho).

Signed copies are available for just £20 direct from here in the restaurant… so next time you’re in, pick up a copy for yourself or as a gift. But be warned, it’s best not to read it on an empty stomach!

August 19, 2013

August’s Sunday lunch opening, featuring Ibérican pork

News

Our next monthly Sunday lunch openings is on 4th August. We’ll be open from 1-4pm, and will be featuring something rather unique alongside a handpicked selection of our favourite classics and specials.

Simon and the team will be creating some incredible dishes from speciality Ibérico pork; bringing you a rare chance to taste that famous acorn and meadow-fed black pig meat from Extremadura.

Alongside that we will be serving refreshing home-made sangria – a perfect foil for the summer heat – as well as our usual extensive selection of wines and sherries, including some great wines by the glass. Advance bookings are highly recommended… please call the restaurant on 01422 823070.

July 31, 2013

A taste of Galicia, on the evening of Thursday 15th August

News

El Gato Negro presents an introduction to the wines and foods of Galicia, where Iberia meets the Atlantic. Galicia is a land of geographical contrasts and surprises, with a distinctive and wonderful food culture.

We already carry a limited range of Galician wines, but there are some fantastic wineries in this lesser-known region of Spain which deserve more exposure. We’ve invited a leading expert to showcase them, paired with a range of dishes inspired by the distinctive culture of Galicia. As regular patrons already know, Padrón peppers and Torta de Santiago are two popular Galician delicacies on our menu: however this evening will enable you to experience more gourmet galego delights alongside a fantastic selection of exclusive wines from the region’s independent vineyards.

egn_wine_casal_de_paula

The menu for the evening will be

Leira Seca
Cockles & clams with olive oil, lemon & coriander

Quinta de la Erre
Pan-roasted scallops with fresh white crabmeat & a shellfish sauce

Casal de Paula Blanco
Galician-style monkfish

Alodio de Antonia Godello
Grilled sardine fillets with Alejandro chorizo, migas breadcrumbs, garlic & mint

Alodio Mencia
Sous-vide pressed pork shoulder with chickpeas, spring cabbage, chorizo & potatoes

Casal de Paula Tinto
Served alongside a choice of either: Two traditional Galician cheeses: Arzúa-Ulloa and Tetilla or Torta de Santiago

The price per person is £45, and covers a selection of wines and accompanying, matched Galician dishes from Simon and the team. Limited places remain for this evening. Reservations can be made by phoning the restaurant on 01422 823070, or in person at the restaurant.

egn_galician_padron_hero

July 24, 2013

An evening of perfectly paired fine foods & superb sherries: Thursday 25th July

News

Here at El Gato Negro it’s fair to say we are huge fans of sherry: we’ve expanded our range in the last twelve months, and launched our sherry web page earlier this year to provide a guide to the sheer range of types available

There are only a limited number of places left for the next of our popular sherry evenings. Once again we’ll have expert advice on pairing sherry from our friends at leading sherry house Gonzalez Byass in Jerez. Gonzalez Byass has been producing high quality sherry in Jerez for over 175 years, and they’re perfectly placed to showcase six of their best , ranging from dry to sweet sherry. These include the highly limited Tio Pepe En Rama: 2013’s batch has sold out in record time, but we’ve held some stock back especially to share with you on the night.
egn_enrama2013

Simon has created six incredible dishes to pair perfectly with the sherries: as with the last sherry evening, an event like this provides the chance to offer an exclusive tasting menu, comprising dishes which showcase the flair and imagination of the team, and give you the opportunity to try them before anyone else.

The last evening in January went down a storm and customers have been asking for us to repeat the experience ever since: whether you’re already a fan of the broad range of sherries we provide, or you’re keen to learn more, this is the ideal opportunity.

Doors open at 7.30pm, and the event starts at 8pm. The price per person will be £45, and includes six sherries, and six specially-created dishes from Simon and the team. Reservations are now being taken for this evening: you can book for any of our nights by phoning 01422 823070, or in person at the restaurant.

July 15, 2013

Advent 2013 – what’s behind the door at El Gato Negro?

December and holiday opening hours

A short break: closed October 7th-17th

El Gato Negro is awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand

Another great review in the Good Food Guide for 2014

An evening of South American wines – Thursday 5th September

Relish North East and Yorkshire – recipe book now available

August’s Sunday lunch opening, featuring Ibérican pork

A taste of Galicia, on the evening of Thursday 15th August

An evening of perfectly paired fine foods & superb sherries: Thursday 25th July

LIVERPOOL

MANCHESTER