OFTEN when I go out to eat, an uneasy feeling creeps up on me that I am being rushed, that every second of my time in a restaurant has been scrupulously divided up into profit and loss by someone who has pored for days over an Excel spreadsheet to work out how to wring every last penny out of the poor punters.

If there is anyone who shares this sentiment, they should try eating at Bar Lento in Winchester, a café and tapas restaurant that opened on Southgate Street in June.

At the foot of the menu, customers are informed that lento means “deliberate [adjective] not hurried, slow”, which is exactly what I’ve been in writing this review – I went there at the end of August when it was still warm enough to sit outside comfortably as it grew dark.

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Dinner at Bar Lento (Image: Sarah Strangeway)

We were welcomed by owner Sarah Strangeway, who has a wealth of experience as a food and wine wholesaler, especially with Spanish produce, and has hand-picked the menu for the ideal balance between price and quality.

She said: “We try to keep prices really competitive. We’ve been seeing a really mixed demographic coming in. People can come in and get one plate each or six.”

This spirit, we found, translated into a lovely atmosphere, particularly in the garden area which is a serene contrast to the bustle of the street outside.

We ordered a beer called Victoria Malaga and a glass of English sparkling white alongside some starters – Padron peppers beautifully char-grilled with big flakes of salt, garlicky gambas pil pil, olives, a fennel and orange salad and the best (and only) patatas bravas I’ve had.

Sitting there in a rather zen mood, we mused that Bar Lento is both a café and a restaurant, but these two aspects do not clash.

In fact, the place seems to benefit from this dual function in a way that gives you the impression you can stay there for as long as you please (we were there for a good two and a half hours), although I’m not sure what the waiting staff would say about that. They were excellent, by the way.

SEE ALSO: Winchester city centre gets a brand new tapas joint – Bar Lento

The presa Iberica (Image: Sarah Strangeway) Next on the menu was a tuna steak “nicoise” with salsa verde, which was delicious, and a “presa Iberica”, a sliced-up steak of pork perfection courtesy of Spain’s famous black Iberian pig on a bed of almond and pepper puree.

After that, it was time for dessert. We both chose the affogato, ice cream “drowned” in coffee – Sarah uses Illy because it’s “the best” – and a liqueur called Pedro Ximenez.

By the end of the meal, we were both as happy as Larry. This restaurant has a winning mix of great food, decent prices and an atmosphere that’s unique in Winchester – personally, I can’t fault it.