Cool, contemporary and relaxed
Text Jessica White
Opened two years ago Small World is the ideal place to enjoy a lazy breakfast, quick bite at lunch or sumptuous dinner with friends and family. It began with four friends, Leandro, John, Victur and Alistair, who wanted to open somewhere that was fun, relaxed and had good food and a great atmosphere, and they have recently been joined by Kamil, a new partner.
The boys all have varied backgrounds, growing up in Spain but relocating elsewhere to pursue their dreams – places such as five-star hotels and restaurants in New York and London. It is located in Centro Commercial Le Village, minutes from the Les Roches school of hospitality, where three of the guys studied, and the idea was to open somewhere they would like to hang out in – a cool, contemporary café that serves unpretentious, delicious dishes at reasonable prices.
The restaurant/café is welcoming and every customer, whether they are there to enjoy cocktails, dinner or just a quick coffee with friends, feels a part of the relaxed ambience that they have created with the help of friendly and approachable staff.
The interior has an urban vibe and the “Small World Boys”, as they are known to many on the Coast, did practically all the decorating themselves, down to laying the floor and painting the brickwork inside so that it coordinated with and matched the other colours in the café. You can tell just by talking to them about Small World that the boys are passionate about it and want to make it the best it can be – especially when it comes to the food and the value for money.
Luckily, on our visit we were able to taste some of the excellent dishes from the simple yet creative menu that was designed both by the boys and by head chef Nico Tisone, who has worked with a Michelin-starred chef. Rather than stick to one dish each we decided to share so that we could have a taste of many dishes – these included the Small World salad of crumbled goat’s cheese, apricots and caramelised walnuts over mixes leaves, avocado, tomato and bean sprouts; roasted Cajun pumpkin tower with pan-fried goat’s cheese, sautéed spinach and a poached egg served with a sun-dried tomato pesto and balsamic glacée; fresh buffalo mozzarella, black olive, rocket, red onion and sun-dried tomato pizza; grilled Argentinean solomillo with caper butter, baked baby potatoes and a rocket salad; and seared tuna steak marinated in wasabi and soy sauce, encrusted with sesame seeds and served with baked baby potatoes and green leaves.
The tuna steak really deserves a special mention as it was absolutely delicious and literally melted in the mouth – it is fresh from Tarifa so, if they don’t have it when you visit the restaurant, blame the fishermen of Tarifa, not the chef.
After the success of the last two years with Small World, the boys decided on another venture and have recently opened bar and nightclub Tribeca, located a few doors along from Small World. The club has been designed in the same urban feel and plays excellent music you can dance the night away to until the not so early hours of 7am, when the club closes. With music rotated nightly – Wednesday is alternative; Thursday is hip hop/R&B; and Friday and Saturday are funky house – guests will always find something to boogie to. Drinks are also value for money in the club, which has just been named the Grey Goose Embassy, one of only two in Andalucía. Being next door to Small World also means that you can grab a relaxed, sumptuous meal and drinks before heading to the club for either a few late night drinks or a night boogie.